Candidates for Switzerland’s parliament cannot be required to job-hunt during an election campaign merely because they might lose their seat. That is the conclusion of a ruling by the Swiss Federal Court, which has clarified how unemployment rules apply to outgoing MPs, reported SRF.
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Switzerland’s National Council and Council of States are citizen parliaments: members are expected to maintain outside careers. Being a parliamentarian is a side gig. In practice, however, many depend heavily on their parliamentary income and face a sudden loss of earnings if they are not re-elected.
That was the fate of several Green politicians after the 2023 election, when the party lost five of the 17 seats it had gained in 2019. Among them was Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger, an environmental scientist from Geneva who lost her National Council seat after one term.
Like other workers who lose their jobs, Ms Pasquier-Eichenberger registered for unemployment benefits while searching for new employment. The Geneva unemployment office suspended her payments for nine days, arguing that she had not made sufficient efforts to find work, a normal requirement to qualify for unemployment support. A cantonal court went further, holding that she should have begun applying for jobs three months before polling day.
The Federal Court disagreed. Forcing a candidate to seek work during an election campaign, it said, would be unrealistic and potentially damaging. In a job interview, a candidate would either have to conceal their candidacy or suggest they would accept a post even if re-elected—both options risk undermining the campaign if they became public.
The court ruled that Ms Pasquier-Eichenberger was entitled to unemployment benefits from the first day she was out of office, a decision that also leaves the Geneva authorities facing several thousand francs in legal costs. Her spell without work was brief: she is now deputy director of Geneva’s cantonal agricultural office and once again paying regularly into the unemployment-insurance system.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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