Two sets of rules produced by Switzerland’s government, one to allow the government to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and another to allow the police to go further in policing terrorism found support with a majority of Swiss voters on Sunday, 13 June 2021. 60.21% of voters supported the government’s Covid-19 laws and 56.58% supported […]
Swiss vote against further CO2 taxes
Swiss government plans to raise taxes on high emission activities, which included heating houses with oil, motoring and flying failed to find a majority across the nation in voting that took place on 13 June 2021. Overall, 51.59% of voters were against the plan, a result that has surprised many. The new taxes, which were […]
Swiss pesticide votes – pesticides, antibiotics, gut bacteria, hormones and disease
As we move through time scientific research improves our understanding of the world. The resulting revelations often point to changes that could lead to progress. However, these changes are rarely painless. Shifting away from the use of antibiotics on livestock and the agricultural use of pesticides are not small adjustments. They underpin current farming methods […]
Zurich votes to require disclosure of nationality of criminal suspects
Last weekend, 55% of voters in the canton of Zurich voted in favour of a plan to require the disclosure of the nationality of those suspected of committing crimes in police reports. Changing this rule is an issue that has been pushed by some of Switzerland’s politicians for decades. The argument for the disclosure is […]
Swiss burka ban passed with support of muslims and feminists
On 7 March 2021, a vote to ban face covering was accepted by 51.2% of Swiss voters. The proposal achieved majorities in 20 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. Only in the cantons of Graubunden, a canton with a large tourism sector, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Bern, and the urban cantons of Basel-City, Geneva, Zurich did a majority of voters reject the ban […]
Swiss vote in favour of face covering ban and Indonesian trade deal but not e-ID – 7 Mar 2021
Today, Swiss voters voted on whether to ban face covering, whether to accept a government plan for issuing electronic IDs and whether to accept a trade deal with Indonesia that some argue does too little to protect tropical forests. Both the votes on banning face covering and accepting the trade deal with Indonesia were accepted by 51.2% and 51.7% of voters respectively. […]
Swiss to vote on electronic IDs
On 7 March 2021, Swiss will vote on whether to accept laws to allow the issuance of electronic IDs. Switzerland’s government has come up with a plan to improve online identification via an e-ID. The aim is to create a secure reliable form of electronic ID that can be used online. To this end it […]
Swiss to vote on face covering ban
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on whether to ban face coverings in public. Discussions on the ban are typically focused on the burka. However, the burka is a specific blue face and body covering found mainly in Afghanistan, which is not seen in Switzerland. The term burqa is sometimes conflated with niqab […]
Swiss to vote on trade deal with Indonesia
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on whether to accept a new trade deal with Indonesia. The deal agreed by the Swiss and Indonesian governments aims to improve trade with South East Asia’s largest economy by cutting tariffs in both directions. However, the deal has opponents who have successfully called a referendum against […]
Swiss federal government rejects vote to ban burqas
On 7 March 2021, Swiss voters will vote on a federal ban on covering faces in public, a referendum focused on women wearing burqas and niqabs. The Egerkingen initiative aims to ban face coverings in public and to protect the free will of women to leave their faces uncovered. The proposal makes exceptions, such as […]
