Voters in the canton of Geneva will head to the polls on June 14th to decide two distinctly Genevan questions: whether shops should open more often on Sundays and whether elected officials should be barred from wearing visible religious symbols in parliament. The first referendum concerns retail opening hours. At present, shops in Geneva may […]
Study calculates the high cost of 10 million population cap
A study has found that a “yes” vote on the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) initiative would impose considerable costs on Switzerland. The study was conducted by Demgrafik, a research and consulting firm based in Basel. Its authors argue that curbing population growth would bring some benefits, easing pressure on housing, infrastructure and the environment, as […]
“No Switzerland of 10m people” initiative has driven campaign spending to record levels
Groups backing and opposing the initiative have amassed CHF 15m for the campaign, an unprecedented sum, reports RTS. Campaign budgets ahead of the June 14th referendum have reached a record high, largely because of the “No Switzerland of 10m people” initiative. According to figures published on Friday by the Federal Audit Office, more than CHF […]
Swiss poll points to tight races on population cap and civil-service reform
If the upcoming votes had been held at the end of April, the “No to 10 Million Switzerland” initiative would have been tied, according to the latest SRG poll run by GFS Bern. Changes to the Civil Service Act would have passed. On June 14th 2026 Swiss voters will decide on two federal measures: a […]
Swiss government waters down nursing reforms
Switzerland’s lower house has watered down plans to improve working conditions for nurses, despite a looming staff shortage. Meeting in special session, the Swiss National Council diluted several elements of a government reform tied to the nursing-care initiative approved by voters in 2021. Lawmakers rejected a proposal to cut the maximum working week for nurses […]
A plan to tax flights to fund trains
A new Swiss initiative seeks to tilt travel away from planes and towards rail. Launched by actif-trafiC and backed by a coalition of campaign groups and political parties, it proposes a levy on airline tickets and private jet travel to fund public transport and expand cross-border rail links. The logic is straightforward: flying is too […]
A new proposal to make it easier to become Swiss reaches parliament
A proposal to ease Switzerland’s naturalisation rules has reached the Swiss National Council, Switzerland’s parliament. The so-called Democracy Initiative has already cleared the first hurdle. Backers gathered 104,782 valid signatures—comfortably above the 100,000 required—forcing a national vote. The plan would make naturalisation more administrative and less discretionary. Applicants who have lived legally in Switzerland for […]
Young Swiss liberals launch initiative to curb size of government
The youth wing of the Liberal Party (PLR/FDP) has launched a popular initiative to curb the growth of Switzerland’s federal administration, arguing that it has expanded silently, continuously and without restraint, reported RTS. Backed by other centre-right parties, the proposal would tie the growth of federal spending to changes in the median wage, effectively capping […]
Swiss government presents counter-proposal to responsible business initiative
The Swiss government has opened a consultation on a counter-proposal to a new popular initiative on corporate responsibility, arguing that companies should respect human rights and the environment without undermining their competitiveness. A previous initiative failed in 2020, winning a majority of voters but not of cantons. A watered-down counter-proposal came into force in 2022, […]
Federal Council will scrap imputed rental value from 2029
Six months after a decisive “yes” at the ballot box, the government has clarified how it will implement reforms to the taxation of residential property. It has consulted the Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors and concluded that cantons need adequate time to prepare for the transition. Mountain cantons had pushed for a later start, arguing […]
