Does Switzerland need DOGE too?

He wants to go to the US the richest man in the world greatly reduce bureaucracy with a specially created “authority for efficient administration”. Elon Musk officially received this order from new president Donald Trump got it.

Complaints about unnecessary regulations are not new. In Switzerland too, repeated attempts are being made to dismantle laws and stop the growth of the state, like this “Sunday Newspaper” reported. However, the success is small. The federal budget continues to increase, as does the number of civil servant positions.

During Musk’s mission, research by the “SonntagsZeitung” shows what the Swiss Confederation could do without – without making things worse for the people of the country. For example, a law governs when chocolate can be described as “Swiss made” – it causes a lot of administrative work for producers and means that Toblerone is no longer allowed to advertise with the Matterhorn.

The obligation to record working hours, which dates back to the age of industry, also causes frustration and unnecessary time wastage for companies and employees.

Perhaps the most unusual rule in this context is the so-called work registration requirement. The law requires companies in sectors with an unemployment rate of more than 5 percent to notify the RAV of vacancies first. They may advertise the positions only after a five-day blocking period. Companies must invite RAV candidates to interviews – even if it is clear that they will not hire them.

According to calculations, the bureaucratic effort costs more than 6 billion francs for Swiss SMEs every year, and the trend is rising. Nevertheless, in the autumn session, the Council of States rejected a proposal from the SVP that called for a systematic, bureaucratic cleanup.