Steering column switch for a motor vehicle, having a gearstick lever which can be actuated by pivoting against a gearstick lever housing and has a detent pin guided on a gearstick gate, wherein the shift lever with the detent pin assumes a stable shift position on the shift gate when the shift lever is not actuated and can be guided into at least one shift position which is unstable on the shift gate by actuation of the shift lever, wherein, after the actuation of the shift lever has ceased, the shift lever can be returned from any shift position which is unstable on the shift gate into the shift position which is stable on the shift gate, wherein together with the shift lever a shift member is pivotable against the shift lever housing, on which shift member at least one permanent magnet is arranged, which is brought together with a magnetic holding element by a pivoting of the shift lever in the shift position which is unstable on the shift gate, and wherein an electromagnet is provided which, in the switched-on state, generates an opposing field to the magnetic field of the permanent magnet, wherein the switching piece together with the switching lever is constructed in the form of a two-armed fork, on each of the two fork arms of which a permanent magnet is arranged, and wherein the switching piece can be pivoted against a stationary housing part of the switching lever housing by an actuation of the switching lever, on which the electromagnet is arranged in a stationary manner, the solenoid of which is located precisely between the two fork arms of the switching piece when the switching lever is not actuated. having a gearstick lever which can be actuated by pivoting against a gearstick lever housing and has a detent pin guided on a gearstick gate, wherein the shift lever with the detent pin assumes a stable shift position on the shift gate when the shift lever is not actuated and can be guided into at least one shift position which is unstable on the shift gate by actuation of the shift lever, wherein, after the actuation of the shift lever has ceased, the shift lever can be returned from any shift position which is unstable on the shift gate into the shift position which is stable on the shift gate, wherein together with the shift lever a shift member is pivotable against the shift lever housing, on which shift member at least one permanent magnet is arranged, which is brought together with a magnetic holding element by a pivoting of the shift lever in the shift position which is unstable on the shift gate, and wherein an electromagnet is provided which, in the switched-on state, generates an opposing field to the magnetic field of the permanent magnet, wherein the switching piece together with the switching lever is constructed in the form of a two-armed fork, on each of the two fork arms of which a permanent magnet is arranged, and wherein the switching piece can be pivoted against a stationary housing part of the switching lever housing by an actuation of the switching lever, on which the electromagnet is arranged in a stationary manner, the solenoid of which is located precisely between the two fork arms of the switching piece when the switching lever is not actuated.