Public administration and bureaucracy – who would have thought these topics could stir such emotions? Of course, the recent attention has more to do with the brutal metaphors than the actual content. Much has been written about Xavier Milei’s chainsaw and Elon Musk’s take on the matter. Meanwhile, the fact that even the EU has taken its first steps toward cutting bureaucracy has gone somewhat unnoticed. Yet for Switzerland, this might be even more significant.
In recent years, our neighbors have taken regulatory zeal to astonishing levels. Here in Switzerland, people have sometimes rubbed their eyes in disbelief. Perhaps the most striking ‘publicity stunt’ in regulation was the new PET bottle cap that now remains attached to the bottle. Yes, regulations shape our daily lives, but their impact isn’t always as immediately visible.
For many, the EU’s regulations on sustainability reporting were far less visible. In some cases, they went far beyond what was reasonable. Soon, even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would have had to collect and report hundreds of new data points every year. But even the European Commission found this excessive and recently introduced the so-called Omnibus Package aiming to adopt a major reduction in bureaucracy.
The Omnibus Package has yet to be officially adopted. But one thing is already clear: On both sides of the Atlantic, there is growing recognition that regulation and bureaucracy have spiraled out of control in recent decades. This message, however, has barely reached Switzerland—even though the situation here is just as concerning.
Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) has calculated the cost of bureaucracy for Swiss SMEs and the numbers are staggering. Bureaucratic expenses now exceed six billion francs per year, more than what the country currently spends on national defense. As regulatory density has increased, so has the public sector, however disproportionately to the private sector. In several Swiss cities, public administration has been growing significantly faster than the population. Since 2011, the number of public sector jobs has risen by more than 20 percent in Basel, Bern, and Zurich.
This disproportionate increase in jobs suggests that public administration structures have not been consistently adapted to societal and technological changes. A few years ago, an internal review commissioned by the city of Zurich confirmed this. The report cited ‘uncertainties, duplications, and inefficiencies’. Yet, despite these findings, the city’s political leadership showed little willingness to tackle the problems. So, does this mean it’s time to reach for the chainsaw?
No, such drastic measures would do little good in Switzerland’s well-functioning political system. But simply sitting back and commenting on the sometimes-excessive developments abroad won’t help either. We have a problem of our own: Bureaucracy has become extremely expensive, and public administration is expanding excessively. Addressing these issues requires responsible politicians who are willing to take on the difficult task of cutting through the excess.
To support policymakers in this unrewarding task, the idea of a hiring freeze for the public sector has recently been suggested. Another possible solution is to introduce a week dedicated to ‘cleaning’. Similar to spring-cleaning, one parliamentary session per year would be dedicated solely to eliminating outdated structures, cutting bureaucracy and reorganizing administration. Ideally, this task would be prepared by a parliamentary committee combined with citizen participation, allowing anyone to submit ideas using an online platform.
Such a spring-cleaning would align with Switzerland’s traditionally pragmatic approach. About a hundred years ago, foreign movements called for radical change with slogans like ‘With hammer, sickle, and rifle: Bring on communism’. The answer in Switzerland was better social security, which was anchored in institutions such as the Old Age Insurance. Today, some countries are reaching for the chainsaw to radically reduce the state. Once again, Switzerland would be better off adopting a more prudent and institutional approach. A week dedicated to cleaning would be a typically Swiss solution, one that even includes a direct democratic element through citizen participation.
This article was published in German in the «NZZ am Sonntag» on March 23, 2025.
