Switzerland and France feud over G7 security costs
Swiss authorities demand France pay millions for security costs related to the G7 summit, including policing protests and border control, but Paris refuses.
Swiss officials are furious that France is refusing to cover the costs of policing tens of thousands of protesters gathering for the G7 summit in neighboring France. The summit takes place in the French resort town of Evian-les-Bains, but many leaders arrive via Geneva airport, and protesters are gathering on the Swiss side of the border.
According to Laurent Paoliello, communications director for Geneva's security department, France is refusing to contribute to the €21.7–€27.2 million cost of securing the border and policing the protests. Several Swiss politicians have proposed withholding funds owed to France, but Paoliello said such moves are complicated because the fund exchanges are enshrined in treaties. Geneva this year paid France €446 million under a 1973 treaty.
Switzerland has mobilized around 4,000 military personnel to oversee protests and staff border checkpoints. On Monday, Swiss police clashed with 600–700 protesters, and the protest was banned after three hours. All public rallies are forbidden during the summit. Switzerland also complains that France has not set up designated protest sites or "counter-summits," as is sometimes done for controversial gatherings like the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The G7 summit started on Monday, June 15, 2026, and lasts until Wednesday. Leaders including Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump are discussing global trade imbalances and the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Swiss authorities are determined to avoid a repeat of the 2003 G8 summit protests that ravaged Geneva.
