The Federal Council has decided to remove the 1% investment stamp duty charged on capital invested in Swiss companies. A majority of parliament are also in favour of the decision. However, some politicians are against the change and have launched a referendum against it. This week the government defended its plan. Switzerland’s relatively low corporate […]
Voters in Zurich support ban on oil and gas heating
Last weekend, 63% of voters in the canton of Zurich confirmed a government decision to phase out heating oil and gas heating in the canton. Laws passed by the cantonal government in 2014 to ban the installation of heating oil and gas heating in new and old buildings proved unpopular with some. Aiming to overturn […]
Swiss vote results on Covid laws, Nurses and Judges
On 28 November 2021, Swiss voters voted on three federal initiatives on Covid laws, nurses working conditions and the way judges are selected. The controversial vote on Covid laws was aimed at revoking Covid laws introduced in March 2021, which include provisions allowing Switzerland’s Covid certificates to be implemented. As forecast in recent polls, the latest […]
Swiss to vote on three proposals this Sunday
On 28 November 2021, Swiss voters will be asked to decide on three proposals, one of them is particularly contentious. Nursing Initiative The first is an initiative aimed at improving the working conditions of nurses. As the population ages the profession faces major challenges. In order to maintain high-quality nursing care a greater number of […]
Numerous complaints filed against vote on Swiss Covid rules
On 28 November 2021, Swiss voters will cast votes on whether to reverse some of Switzerland’s Covid laws in one of the nations most divisive votes. In the run up to the referendum, numerous complaints have been filed over how it is being handled. A number of those opposed to the government’s Covid measures are […]
Gay marriage possible in Switzerland from July 2022
From 1 July 2022, same sex couples will be able to marry or convert their registered partnerships into marriage, announced the Swiss government this week. The announcement on 17 November 2021 follows a popular vote on the subject on 26 September 2021 when 64.1% voted in favour same sex marriage. The new law will be […]
Initiative launched for vote to agree Swiss deal with EU
A group called Opération Libero and the Green party plan to come together to launch a referendum to require Switzerland’s federal government to sign new deal with the EU. At a meeting on 26 May 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council evaluated the results of Switzerland’s negotiations with the EU around the institutional framework agreement, an agreement […]
Support rises for Swiss Covid-19 laws as vote approaches
In Switzerland, it seems that rarely a day passes without news of a protest against some aspect of the government’s measures to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19. However, a recent poll by Tamedia suggests support is quietly growing for the Swiss government’s measures, which include Covid certificates. The survey, which was run between 28 and […]
Swiss government rejects selection of judges by lottery
This week, the Federal Council launched its campaign against a vote on 28 November 2021 to move to a system where Switzerland’s judges would be selected by lottery. The proposed system would involve randomly selecting judges from a preselected pool of qualified people. Currently, Swiss judges are elected by the Federal Assembly, the combination of […]
Swiss vote in favour of gay marriage but reject tax hike – 26 September 2021
On Sunday, 26 September 2021, legal changes made by the Swiss government to allow gay marriage were accepted by 64.10% of Swiss voters, while a majority (64.88%) rejected a plan to tax investors and company owners harder than salary earners. Majorities in all cantons voted in favour of gay marriage. The margin was slimmest in […]
