Political profile
Molina was Youth Secretary at the Swiss national labour union Unia from 2011 to 2014. He is also a member of Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Group Switzerland without Army (GSoA), Public Eye, and Solidar Suisse. From early 2017 to 2018, Molina held a position as a research assistant at the Swiss non-governmental organisation Swissaid [8] and has been Co-President since 6 June 2019. [14]
A prominent figure in national media, he has raised regular attention both in national and international press. He called, for instance, to hoist the multi-coloured Peace Flag instead of the Swiss Flag on 1 August 2014 (Switzerland's national day) to commemorate 100 years of the general mobilization for World War I. [15] In 2015, in cooperation with other political groups, Molina and his Juso took the referendum against the new Intelligence Service Act (Nachrichtendienstgesetz). [16] Furthermore, he took a leading role in the vote on the popular initiative "Stop Speculation on Food Crops" ("Keine Spekulation mit Nahrungsmitteln!") that came to a popular vote on 2 February 2016, and was rejected. [17]
Molina describes himself as a “European” and serves as president of the Zurich section of the European Movement Switzerland, which advocates for Switzerland’s accession to the European Union (EU). [18] He believes that EU membership would bring economic and democratic benefits to Switzerland and that the country should contribute to European integration. [19] Molina also supports closer security cooperation between Switzerland and the EU. In 2025, he persuaded the National Council’s Security Policy Committee to urge the Federal Council to conclude a security and defence agreement with the EU, which the Federal Council subsequently recommended for implementation. [20] At the same time, Molina is a critic of NATO, arguing that it entrenches Europe’s dependence on the United States. In his view, a closer alignment of Switzerland with NATO would endanger the country’s policy of military non-alignment. [21]
Molina is an advocate of economic democracy. Through parliamentary initiatives and within a working group of the Social Democratic Party (SP), he promotes better conditions for alternative economic models. [22]
In 2021, contrary to his party’s official position, Molina supported the EFTA–Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement in the referendum campaign. He argued that the agreement represented an important step toward effective sustainability standards in Swiss trade policy that could serve as a foundation for future agreements. The agreement was narrowly approved in the popular vote. [23]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina campaigned for the protection of vulnerable groups and expressed support for a mandatory vaccination policy. [24]
In 2022, he participated in an unauthorized demonstration in Zurich against a march by the far-right group Junge Tat. He posted a photo of himself at the event on Instagram with the caption "Züri stabil nazifrei" ("Zurich steady, free of Nazis") [25] [26] and praised the antifascist movement on social media. [27] Earlier, he had described “antifascists” as heroes. [28] His participation sparked controversy, with right-wing outlets such as Die Weltwoche and Nebelspalter accusing him of condoning property damage and mocking him for wearing a face mask. Molina later received a fine for attending an unapproved event. [29] On 12 December 2023, the National Council adopted a postulate tabled by Molina calling on the Federal Council to compile statistics on violent right-wing extremist, racist and antisemitic groups in Switzerland. [30]
As president of Swissaid, Molina advocates for a strong Swiss development cooperation policy. [31] He considers the reduction of poverty and hunger, as well as the promotion of peace, to be central responsibilities of neutral Switzerland.
Molina also views the promotion of democracy and human rights as a key pillar of Swiss foreign policy and criticizes the official focus on foreign investment and trade promotion. He has been a critic of the Switzerland–China Free Trade Agreement, calling for human rights to play a central role in Swiss–Chinese relations and for Switzerland to align its China policy more closely with that of the EU. Switzerland’s first China Strategy (2021) originated from one of his parliamentary initiatives. [1] He is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and co-president of the parliamentary groups on Tibet and Taiwan. [32] [33] In these roles, he met the 14th Dalai Lama in Zurich in 2018 and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a visit in 2023.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Molina called for Switzerland to adopt the EU sanctions against Russia and to increase civilian and financial support for Ukraine, while maintaining Swiss neutrality. He repeatedly criticized what he viewed as the Federal Council’s overly lenient stance toward Russia and succeeded in pushing for tougher action against Russian spies in Switzerland. [34] [35]
In 2019, during an SP conference titled "Equal Opportunities, Equal Rights: A Democratic Turkey for All" – held at the Federal Palace with representatives of the Turkish sister parties HDP and CHP, and co-organized by Molina – a convicted Al-Qaeda supporter gained access to the event. Molina and his party later apologized for the oversight. [36]
Molina is a member of the parliamentary friendship group Switzerland–Palestine. [37] In 2017 and 2022, he opposed classifying Hamas as a terrorist organization. [38] [39] [40] In 2023, however, he condemned the Hamas terror attack on Israel and subsequently called for a ban on Hamas. [41] Shortly after the attack, he met with the relatives of Israeli hostages at the Federal Palace, urging their release, the punishment of the perpetrators, and renewed efforts toward a negotiated peace. [42] As Israel’s offensive in Gaza intensified, he demanded compliance with international humanitarian law and measures to protect civilians. [43] Later in the conflict, he supported sanctions against Israel and criticized Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis for suspending funding to UNRWA, advocating for its swift reinstatement – which occurred on 30 April 2024. [44] In May 2024, Molina called for the recognition of the State of Palestine, arguing in a parliamentary debate that extremist forces in both Israel and Palestine were undermining a two-state solution. [45] [46]
