Erroneous Publication of the Counterproposal to the "Childcare Initiative" in the Federal Gazette

Summary

The Federal Chancellery erroneously published the Federal Act on Support for Institutional Childcare Services Supplementing Family Care (UKibeG) in the Federal Gazette on January 7, 2026. The act is an indirect counterproposal to the Childcare Initiative and may only be published according to the legal text once the initiative has been withdrawn or rejected. Since these conditions were not met, the erroneous publication was immediately withdrawn. The 100-day referendum period was not triggered as a result.

Persons

• Federal Chancellery

Topics

• Legislative procedure
• Popular initiative
• Referendum
• Childcare
• Federal Gazette publication

Detailed Summary

On December 19, 2025, the Federal Assembly passed the Federal Act on Support for Institutional Childcare Services Supplementing Family Care (UKibeG) in the final vote. The act serves as an indirect counterproposal to the popular initiative "For good and affordable childcare services supplementing family care for all" (Childcare Initiative).

According to Article 11, Paragraph 2 of the act, it may only be published in the Federal Gazette once the Childcare Initiative has either been withdrawn or rejected by the people. Neither of these two criteria was met at the time of publication.

Nevertheless, the Federal Chancellery erroneously published the act in the Federal Gazette on January 7, 2026. The error was identified and the publication was immediately withdrawn. As a result, the normally applicable 100-day referendum period that begins with Federal Gazette publication did not take effect.

The referendum period will only begin once the act is lawfully published—that is, after the statutory conditions are met. From that point on, signatures can be collected for the optional referendum.

Key Messages

• The UKibeG was erroneously published even though the publication conditions were not met
• The Childcare Initiative must first be withdrawn or rejected before the counteract can be published
• The referendum period was not triggered by the erroneous publication
• The procedure will restart following lawful publication

Stakeholders & Affected Parties

Opportunities & Risks

Action Relevance

Relevant for decision-makers:

• Monitoring: Observation of the further progress of the Childcare Initiative vote
• Process optimization: Review of control functions for Federal Gazette publications in the Federal Chancellery
• Communication: Transparent explanation of the error and corrective measures to the public
• Timing: Preparation for the referendum period following lawful publication

Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking

• [x] Central statements and data verified (publication date, legal text, criteria): 08.01.2026
• [x] All information sourced from official Federal Chancellery press release
• [x] No unconfirmed data present
• [x] No apparent political bias

Supplementary Research

• Official voting materials for the Childcare Initiative (Federal Chancellery)
• UKibeG legal text with final vote protocol
• Timeline for next steps in the legislative process

Source Directory

Primary Source:
Federal Chancellery Press Release – "Erroneous Publication of the Counterproposal to the 'Childcare Initiative' in the Federal Gazette"
Published: January 8, 2026
https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/AXo8XKH-TXlHMlIAP99-1

Supplementary Sources:

1. Federal Act on Support for Institutional Childcare Services Supplementing Family Care (UKibeG)
2. Final vote text of the Federal Assembly (December 19, 2025)
3. Information on the popular initiative "Childcare Initiative" on parlament.ch

Verification Status: ✓ Facts checked on January 8, 2026

This text was created with the support of Claude.
Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: January 8, 2026