This week, Switzerland’s federal government reached a dead end on reducing the voting age to 16. It is unlikely the idea will be discussed again for a while, reported SRF. After years if discussion, federal parliament rejected the idea. The left favoured it – younger people are more likely to lean left, while those on […]
Swiss farmers join European protests
Swiss farmers joined European farmers in protest this week. Using the tractor, the go-to farm protest vehicle, thousands of farmers across the country assembled in various locations and arranged their tractors to make SOS symbols, reported RTS. Like farmers across Europe, Swiss ones particularly object to the low prices they get for their produce, environmental […]
Swiss set to vote on a climate fund
This week, the Socialist and Green Parties submitted sufficient signatures to trigger a popular initiative, reported RTS. According to the organisers, nearly 130,000 signatures were submitted to the Federal Chancellery on Thursday. The initiative aims to create a climate fund that would help all levels of government to invest in actions to meet international climate agreements. […]
Higher Swiss pensions – voter support narrows
Support for the popular initiative to boost state pensions by 1/13 narrowed from 61% to 53% between 14 January and 10 February, according to a poll published by RTS. Voting intentions vary significantly by age. In the latest poll, people under 40 were most against it (55%), possibly because they know they will probably need […]
Zurich initiative aims to make demonstrators pay for police cost
An initiative in the canton of Zurich will ask voters on 3 March 2024 to decide whether those who demonstrate should cover the costs of damage and the costs of policing protests, reported SRF. Those behind the plan argue protestors who break windows or glue themselves to roads should be required to cover the costs […]
Switzerland slips in democracy ranking
In 2023, Switzerland slipped one place in the EIU democracy ranking to eighth place behind Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland. Overall, only 24 (14%) out of the 167 nations surveyed were classified as full democracies. The relatively small populations of these flag bearers of democracy means only 8% of the global […]
Basel wants more clout in Bern
It is often said that Switzerland has 26 cantons. However, technically it has 20 full and 6 half cantons. Basel-City is one of Switzerland’s half cantons. This means it only gets one seat in the Council of States, Switzerland’s federal upper house, compared to the two each full canton gets. Some cantonal politicians in Basel-City […]
Swiss military finds unexpected billion franc hole in budget
Recently revealed financial difficulties at Switzerland’s military came out of the blue this week, reported RTS. Army head Thomas Süssli and defence minister Viola Amherd are in regular contact about the army’s finances, so politicians across the political spectrum were surprised by the size of hole in the budget. Some said they knew there was […]
High Swiss rent – little support for rent controls
Rents have risen significantly in Switzerland, something potentially affecting the 61% of the population living in rented accommodation. A survey by Deloitte places rent control at the bottom of a list of solutions. The survey, which questioned 1,900 people across Switzerland, found rent controls to be the least preferred solution to dealing with rising rents […]
Swiss cabinet supports allowing double-barrelled surnames
Switzerland’s Federal Council supports the reintroduction of double-barrelled surnames for spouses and children, reported RTS. Double-barrelled names were abolished in Switzerland in 2013. Although many still use double surnames in Switzerland, they cannot be used on official documents such as passports or other identification documents. Questions surrounding surname syntax are surprisingly political in Switzerland. Double […]
