Spring session wrap: parliament spares Swiss Abroad services from budget cuts

The Swiss government's austerity package has been streamlined considerably by parliament. Federal funds for services linked to the Swiss Abroad have been spared. A big chunk of parliament's spring session was dedicated to the government's austerity package 27. The government wanted to save up to CHF3 billion ($3.8 billion) per year to comply with the debt brake in the future. Now parliament has had the chance to debate these austerity measures and soften the blow. In the winter session, the Senate already trimmed the austerity plans by more than a third. In the spring session, the House of Representatives also blunted the proposed savings measures. In the end, only about 60% of the planned cuts remain. Funds for Swissinfo and OSA remain Among those spared are three organisations that offer services specifically for Swiss nationals abroad and receive federal funding for this. These are Swissinfo, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) and the Swiss schools overseas. Swissinfo ...