A referendum aimed at cutting welfare expenses in the canton of Bern was narrowly rejected by 52.6% of voters on Sunday. The initiative, supported by a majority of the canton’s parliament aimed to reduce the canton’s welfare spending, which has risen 54% over the last 10 years despite a decline in the number receiving it. […]
Swiss vote results on gun laws and tax and pension reform – 19 May 2019
Today, Swiss voters voted on changes to gun laws and tax and pension reform initiatives. Both the votes on gun laws and tax and pension reform were accepted by 63.7% and 66.4% of voters respectively. Majorities in all cantons voted for the tax and pension reform initiative. Only in Ticino did a majority of voters reject the government’s changes to […]
Swiss votes 19 May 2019 – tax, pensions and gun laws
On Sunday, Swiss will be asked to vote on two federal referenda, one on gun laws and another on tax and pension reform. Gun laws Following the gun attacks in Paris and Brussels, the EU tightened gun rules in 2017. In 2018, the government of Switzerland, a nation outside the EU but within the Schengen […]
Vote on Swiss gun law changes headed for yes, according to poll
Following the gun attacks in Paris and Brussels, the EU tightened gun rules in 2017. In 2018, the government of Switzerland, a nation outside the EU but within the Schengen area, changed its laws on guns to reflect european laws. However, the changes do not please everyone. Switzerland has a long tradition of gun ownership […]
Swiss vote on tax and pensions heading for yes, according to poll
Under outside pressure, Switzerland plans to abolish the tax privileges it offers to certain foreign companies, a system designed to attract businesses to the country. To reduce the risk of companies leaving, cantons will replace this system with lower standard company tax rates, a move that will lower tax revenue. Tax rates in Switzerland vary […]
Swiss to vote on presumed organ donor consent
Recently, a new initiative on organ donation reached the first milestone of collecting more than 100,000 valid signatures. The aim of the initiative is to introduce, by referendum, laws that would presume donor consent. The changes would allow surgeons to take organs from anyone declared dead without requiring the dead person’s prior consent. Instead they […]
Swiss vote on gun law changes on 19 May 2019
Following the gun attacks in Paris and Brussels, the EU tightened gun rules in 2017. In 2018, the government of Switzerland, a nation outside the EU but within the Schengen area, changed its laws on guns to reflect european laws. The Schengen area is a visa-free zone covering most of the EU and the non-EU nations […]
Switzerland to vote against animal experimentation
A vote aiming to make experimentation on animals and humans illegal has passed the first official hurdle. Late last week, the administration gave the initiative a green light after validating 123,640 signatures, a number exceeding the 100,000 minimum. Launched by a group in the canton of St. Gallen in 2017, the initiative aims to make […]
Most Swiss unhappy with the nation’s politics, according to survey
A recently published survey shows only 38% of Swiss were happy with the country’s politics in 2018. The online survey by Vimentis, shows a small improvement on 2017 when the same figure was 36%. Results varied significantly by political party membership. In 2018, most members (60%) of the PLR (FDP) were satisfied, compared to members […]
Campaign launched for a pesticide-free Switzerland
On Monday, a referendum in Switzerland aiming to ban the use of all synthetic pesticides was launched. The popular vote, which collected the required 100,000 signatures in 2016, is scheduled for 2020, according to RTS. The pesticides that would be banned include glyphosate and neonicotinoids, a group of chemicals known to kill bees. Vote organisers […]
