The global financial and economic crisis in 2008 and the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse showed that a big bank encountering serious difficulties can constitute a considerable burden for the economy, even in Switzerland. The Federal Council wants to prevent such banks from being too big to fail and to prevent the state from having to use tax revenues to save them.
At the end of March 2023, the Federal Council decided to review the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS and to evaluate the too-big-to-fail framework. In doing so, the Federal Council relies on Article 52 of the Banking Act, which obliges it to report regularly on systemically important banks. The next corresponding report should be available by the beginning of April 2024. As part of this report, the Federal Council will also fulfil various review mandates that parliament has given the Federal Council in connection with the events surrounding Credit Suisse.