Swiss Parliament Approves Enhanced Oversight for Major Banks

The Swiss Parliament has adopted all proposals from the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (PUK) aimed at enhancing oversight of the banking sector following the emergency merger of Credit Suisse and UBS. This legislation includes four motions focused on easing capital and liquidity requirements for systemically important banks, as well as strengthening the enforcement powers of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma). Lawmakers expressed concerns that UBS now poses significant risks to Switzerland's financial stability, with Socialist lawmaker Emmanuel Amoos highlighting the dangers of having such a large institution in the economy. The new regulations are designed to minimize risks for taxpayers and ensure that the country learns from the Credit Suisse crisis, which nearly triggered a global banking disaster. The government is now obligated to draft legislation that addresses these proposals, with further reforms already in progress to boost capital requirements for UBS. This marks a significant and binding step in the ongoing evolution of Switzerland's banking regulations.