Summary

The Federal Council commented on 18 February 2026 on a report by the Audit Committee of the Council of States regarding personnel security checks (PSC). The GPK-S confirmed that the PSC specialist unit of the Federal Chancellery operates lawfully, rejected allegations of excessive privacy violations, and recommended eight improvements. The Federal Council accepts these recommendations largely and plans reforms in oversight, communication, and decision-making.

Persons

Topics

  • Security checks
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Administrative oversight
  • Personnel management

Clarus Lead

The Audit Committee of the Council of States (GPK-S) had examined the personnel security checks of the Federal Chancellery and analyzed two controversial cases of staff officers. Despite earlier criticism regarding privacy violations, the committee confirmed correct practice. The Federal Council accepts the eight reform recommendations and plans binding guidelines to strengthen control and accountability of decision-makers.

Detailed Summary

The PSC specialist unit of the Federal Chancellery conducts extended security checks with interviews, primarily for officials appointed by the Federal Council. These checks had repeatedly been criticized for overly intensive interference with privacy. The GPK-S examined two cases of senior staff officers and concluded that the specialist unit has fulfilled its duties lawfully and appropriately – with no evidence of arbitrariness or inappropriate questions.

The Federal Council takes note of this assessment. At the same time, it accepts several improvement proposals: The Federal Chancellery and the State Secretariat for Security Policy (SEPOS) are to create mechanisms to alert checked persons early to problematic conduct. Furthermore, the Federal Council plans to strengthen oversight of the PSC specialist unit through regular external evaluations – a measure that the Federal Chancellery had already initiated before the GPK report.

Central to this is a shift in responsibility: in future, the Federal Council, the departments, and other administrative units should not blindly follow PSC recommendations, but independently assess whether a checked person can be hired or continue employment. The Federal Chancellery will work together with the Federal Personnel Office (EPA) and SEPOS to develop an implementation directive that clarifies responsibilities and presents courses of action.

Key Messages

  • Confirmation of Lawfulness: The GPK-S confirmed that the PSC specialist unit operates correctly and proportionately without arbitrariness
  • Eight Recommendations Accepted: The Federal Council largely accepts the reform proposals and plans binding implementation
  • Stronger Oversight Planned: External evaluations and clearer regulation of Federal Chancellery oversight are to improve control
  • Accountability of Decision-Makers: The Federal Council and departments should not automatically follow PSC recommendations, but make their own assessments

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence Quality: Is the GPK-S assessment of lawfulness based on a comprehensive analysis of all PSC cases or only on the two examined staff officer cases? How representative are these cases?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent could a conflict of interest arise from the Federal Chancellery serving as the oversight body for its own specialist unit? Are external evaluators independent of federal interests?

  3. Causality of Reforms: What concrete mechanisms are to prevent decision-makers from continuing to automatically follow PSC recommendations? How will "accountability" become measurable and controllable?

  4. Implementation Risks: Could the shift of responsibility to departments lead to inconsistent decisions and legal inequality? What sanctions exist for non-compliance with the new guidelines?

  5. Privacy Standard: What new limits for interviews will be defined in the planned implementation directive? How will "problematic conduct" be identified early without again violating privacy?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Council Press Release: Personnel Security Checks – 20 February 2026

Verification Status: ✓ 20.02.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-check: 20.02.2026