Switzerland has several kinds of referendums. One, called and optional referendum, gives voters a chance to overturn laws created by the government. Calling an optional referendum requires 50,000 signatures, a hurdle comfortably cleared by the organisers of a referendum to overturn Switzerland’s Covid-19 law introduced on 26 September 2020.
On 3 March 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Chancellory confirmed the vote against Switzerland’s Covid-19 law would proceed after confirming 90,789 valid signatures, a number well above to 50,000 threshold required.
Vote organisers want to ensure that government actions allowed by the law are not legitimised and prolonged until the end of 2021.
On their website vote organisers argue that the Covid-19 law is unnecessary, that it will open the door to compulsory vaccination with insufficiently tested genetic vaccines, that public money should not be spent on propaganda, that the “second wave” is a projection error and that the law is an affront to the sovereignty of Swiss citizens.
The vote will take place on 13 June 2021.
In addition, two other votes scheduled for the same date were validated.
A referendum against the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (CO2 Act) law was validated with 72,622 signatures and another against the law on Police Measures to Combat Terrorism (PMT) was validated with 76,926 signatures.
The CO2 Act gives the government powers to cut emissions via fuel and flight taxes with the aim of reducing emissions to 50% of 1990 levels by 2030, something some of those opposing it deem costly and ineffective.
PMT prescribes penalties of 10 years or more for people who support criminal or terrorist organisations, something viewed by some as an infringement of human rights and liberty.
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Government press release (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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