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 Switzerlandportal |
Several federal referendums were held in Switzerland in 2019, with votes taking place on 10 February and 19 May. Federal parliamentary elections were held on 20 October, which led the Swiss Federal Council to postpone the November round of voting until 2020. [1]
In February voters decided on a popular initiative named "Stop the Sprawl – for sustainable development in construction", which would have prevented building zones being expanded, with possible exception made for agriculture or public use on the basis that an equivalent amount of land currently registered as building zone be declassified and rewilded. [2]
The proposal was put forward by the Young Greens in 2015. [3] It was also supported by the Small Farmers Association and the Young Socialists, as well as several environmental organisations, and gathered 113,000 signatures. [2] However, it was opposed by the Federal Council, with Environment Minister Doris Leuthard claiming the idea was "too radical, unfair and counterproductive". [2] An opinion poll published in December 2018 showed 63% of voters to be in favour and 29% opposed. [4]
| Question | For | Against | Invalid/ blank | Total votes | Registered voters | Turnout | Cantons for | Cantons against | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Full | Half | Full | Half | ||||||
| Stop the Sprawl | 737,241 | 36.3 | 1,291,513 | 63.7 | 30,184 | 2,058,938 | 5,429,641 | 37.9 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | Rejected |
| Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland | |||||||||||||
Two optional referendums were held on 19 May: one on a law reforming the financing of the Swiss pension system's "first pillar", [5] and another on transposing the European gun control directive (an update to the Schengen acquis) into Swiss law. [6] Both proposals were approved.
| Question | For | Against | Invalid/ blank | Total votes | Registered voters | Turnout | Result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||||||||
| Reforming pension financing | 1,541,147 | 66.4 | 780,457 | 33.6 | 57,814 | 2,379,418 | 5,439,853 | 43.74 | Approved | ||||
| Gun control directive | 1,501,880 | 63.7 | 854,274 | 36.3 | 30,797 | 2,386,951 | 43.88 | Approved | |||||
| Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland [7] [8] | |||||||||||||
Switzerland is a semi-direct democratic federal republic. Since 2011 the leading parties are from the right and left wing. The federal legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the Federal Assembly, the National Council and the Council of States. The Federal Council holds the executive power and is composed of seven power-sharing Federal Councillors elected by the Federal Assembly. The judicial branch is headed by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, whose judges are elected by the Federal Assembly.
The foreign relations of Switzerland are the primary responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Some international relations of Switzerland are handled by other departments of the federal administration of Switzerland.
Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey is a Swiss politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS), she was the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs during her tenure as a Federal Councillor. She was President of the Swiss Confederation twice, in 2007 and 2011.
Switzerland has allowed registered partnerships for same-sex couples since 1 January 2007, after a 2005 referendum. Legislation to allow same-sex marriage was introduced in 2013 and passed on 18 December 2020 by the Swiss Parliament, but is subject to a referendum scheduled for 26 September 2021. Public opinion strongly supports same-sex marriage, with polls indicating support by about 82% of voters as of November 2020.
Voting in Switzerland is the process by which Swiss citizens make decisions about governance and elect officials. The history of voting rights in Switzerland mirrors the complexity of the nation itself. The polling stations are opened on Saturdays and Sunday mornings but most people vote by post in advance. At noon on Sunday, voting ends and the results are usually known during the afternoon.
Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union (EU). It is associated with the Union through a series of bilateral treaties in which Switzerland has adopted various provisions of European Union law in order to participate in the Union's single market, without joining as a member state. All but one of Switzerland's neighbouring countries are EU member states.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Switzerland are fairly progressive by European standards, although LGBT people lack full legal equality. Its history is one of liberalisation at an increasing pace since the 1940s, in parallel to the legal situation in Europe and the Western world more generally. Legislation providing for same-sex marriage and IVF access has been adopted by the federal parliament, but is subject to a referendum scheduled for 26 September 2021.
Abortion in Switzerland is legal during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, upon condition of counseling, for women who state that they are in distress. It is also legal with medical indications – threat of severe physical or psychological damage to the woman – at any later time. Switzerland is among the developed nations with the lowest rates of abortions and unwanted pregnancies.
Ten referendums were held in Switzerland during 2008. The first two were held on 24 February on business tax reform and aircraft noise. A further three were held on 1 June on public information campaigns, naturalisation and health reform. The final five were held on 30 November on legalising cannabis, making the pension age flexible, restricting the right of appeal of associations against construction projects, amending the constitutional article on narcotics and eliminating the statute of limitations with respect to pornographic crimes against children.
There has been significant immigration to Switzerland since the 1980s. By contrast, during the 19th century, emigration from Switzerland was more common, as Switzerland was economically a poor country where a large fraction of population survived on subsistence farming.
Twelve national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2012. On 11 March voters across the country were asked five questions on employment leave, second houses, building society savings, the Fixed Book Price Agreement and gambling revenues. On 17 June there were three questions on healthcare, foreign policy and home buying. On 23 September there were three on a smoking ban, secure housing in old age and music lessons at school. A final referendum was held on 25 November on the Animal Diseases Act.
Women in Switzerland are women who live in and are from Switzerland. The legal and social role of Swiss women has evolved significantly from the mid-20th century onwards.
Twelve national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2014.
In Switzerland, the federal popular initiative "against mass immigration" was a referendum that aimed to limit immigration through quotas, as it had been prior to the bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) launched 2002.
The right of foreigners to vote in Switzerland is an ongoing political issue in the country. Switzerland is a federal nation. As such, the cantons have extensive powers to enact their own legislation. For this reason, the rules regarding the rights of foreign residents to vote differ considerably throughout Switzerland.
Pierre Hemmer, born on March 8, 1950 in Fribourg and died on June 26, 2013 in Mons (Var), was a business leader and executive of the Swiss Confederation, active in particular in the field of the Internet. In 1995, he was, with his firm M&Cnet, the only public service provider in the Canton of Fribourg and many other parts of Switzerland.
The environmental movement in Switzerland is represented by a wide range of associations.
Ten national referendums were held in Switzerland in 2018. Polling took place on 4 March, 10 June, 23 September and 25 November.
Emma Kammacher was a Swiss human rights lawyer, activist and politician. She was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland and served as a member of the Grand Council of Geneva. In 1965 she became the first woman to serve as president of a Swiss cantonal council.
Several federal referendums were held in Switzerland in 2020, with voting on 9 February, 27 September and 29 November. Voting was also planned for 17 May, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.