Global Tobacco Lobby Index: Switzerland Remains Europe's Laggard

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index (GTI) measures the extent to which authorities worldwide are influenced by the tobacco and nicotine industry - through lobbying, political donations, or partnerships with authorities and parliament. With 96 out of 100 possible points (high score = strong interference), Switzerland ranks 99th out of 100 countries surveyed. Compared to the last report, it has fallen ten places as the 2025 index includes more countries. Among the European countries that participated, Switzerland performs the worst.

Federal Councilor Cassis as Speaker at JTI-sponsored Forum

An ongoing example of the tobacco industry's influence is the Lucerne Dialogue, an initiative organizing economic conferences, listing Japan Tobacco International (JTI) as a "Premium Member." Among the official partners, there are numerous state actors, including the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and several cantons. Particularly concerning: Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis (FDP), head of the FDFA, is listed as a speaker at the European Economic Forum 2025. Although the new Tobacco Products Act (effective since October 2024) explicitly prohibits sponsorship by the tobacco industry in federal activities, such partnerships continue under the guise of "corporate social responsibility" (CSR). This example illustrates the weak implementation of legal regulations and how closely public institutions remain entwined with the tobacco industry.

Philip Morris Funds Campaigns of SVP and FDP

Philip Morris International (PMI) donated 35,000 francs each to the parties SVP and FDP during the federal elections 2023. The world's largest tobacco company supports the political forces that consistently oppose stricter tobacco control measures. These contributions exemplify how the tobacco industry safeguards its interests through party donations and political connections. In hardly any other European country is such influence legally permissible - a direct result of the lack of ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

30 Parliamentarians with Tobacco Connections - Influence Within the Legislative Process

The report further highlights a broad lobbying network within the federal parliament: 30 members have direct or indirect connections to the tobacco industry, including several sitting on the two key parliamentary committees for health and economy (SGK and WAK).

This structural closeness between politics and the tobacco industry weakens any effective health and youth protection policy. The tobacco industry continues to exert significant influence on discussions and legislative processes in public health policy. Particularly troubling: Some of these parliamentarians actively contributed to weakening the Tobacco Products Act - contrary to the public vote on the 'Children Without Tobacco' initiative.

"The tobacco industry has entrenched itself within the political system. Without clear boundaries, more transparency, and ratification of the WHO Framework Convention, Switzerland will continue to be driven by corporate interests - not by the protection of the population."

Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, President of the Swiss Tobacco Prevention Working Group, National Councilor (SP)

Switzerland Must Finally Act

The Swiss Tobacco Prevention Working Group calls for:

1. Immediate ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). 2. Ban on all collaborations between authorities and politicians with the tobacco and nicotine industry. 3. Mandatory transparency rules for political mandates, meetings, and donations.

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, created by the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), is based on 20 indicators guided by the Article 5.3 guidelines of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It measures government efforts to counteract the tobacco industry's influence. A scoring system is used. The higher the score, the worse the country performs.

Press contact: For questions, please contact Kris Schürch at kris.schuerch@at-schweiz.ch / 031 599 10 31

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