Swiss voting results of March 3, 2024
Citizens and citizens of the Swiss Confederation approve the 13th OASI and clearly reject raising the retirement age. An overview of the referendum results here.
The following is a summary of key information pertaining to the items on the ballot on Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Proposal for a 13th OASI pension in Switzerland approved
In the referendum on March 3, 2024, 58.2% of the Swiss population voted in favor of the initiative for a 13th OASI pension. This result was also confirmed by the cantonal vote, with 15 cantons voting in favor and 8 voting against.
The initiative proposed by the Swiss Labor Union to introduce a 13th OASI pension was accepted by both the population and the cantons. This measure will guarantee an 8.3 percent increase in the annual pension for all retirees, corresponding to one-twelfth of their annual salary.
The result was particularly significant in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland and Ticino, where most of the population voted in favor of the 13th OASI pension. In contrast, several regions in central Switzerland clearly voted against it, as did the canton of St. Gallen, the canton of Appenzell and the canton of Thurgau. The results were extremely polarized, with the canton of Jura voting with 82.5 percent support, while Appenzell Innerrhoden cast a 68.5 percent vote against.
The proposed 13th OASI pension does not touch supplementary benefits (PC), ensuring that recipients of these benefits will not be penalized by the introduction of the 13th OASI pension. Regarding the financing of the 13th OASI pension, the initiative does not provide specific details.
Swiss People Reject Increase in Retirement Age to 66 Years
In the referendum held on March 3, 2024, the Swiss people clearly rejected the proposal made by the Young Liberal Radicals to increase the retirement age to 66 and index it to average life expectancy. With a turnout of 58.1 percent, 74.7 percent of the Swiss electorate voted against the proposal, with all cantons expressing a clear rejection, exceeding 70 percent voting against it.
The proposal called for a gradual increase in the retirement age for both sexes to 66 by 2033, with subsequent indexation to average life expectancy. The goal of the proposal was to ensure the long-term financing of Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI), the first pillar of the Swiss social security system. According to the Young Radical Liberals, this solution would have reduced OASI outlays by about 2 billion francs a year.
The initiative’s chances of success were always slim, with the government and the majority of parliament recommending its rejection.
Referendum Results and Local Votes
Zurich Airport runway lengthening and demonstration decisions approved and lakeshore initiative rejected
Zurich citizens recently approved the lengthening of the runways at Kloten Airport. This decision will allow the airport operator to extend runway 28 by 400 meters westward and runway 32 by 280 meters northward at an estimated cost of 250 million francs. The main objective of the project is to improve the safety and punctuality of flights, as well as to reduce the noise generated by air traffic in the evening hours, thus improving the quality of life for residents in the vicinity of the airport. This step represents an important development for Kloten Airport and the entire Zurich region, promising more efficient and safer air service for passengers and residents.
In the central canton of Zurich, recent deliberations over unauthorized protests and the fate of the lakeshore have captured the attention of the local and national community. The debate and voting results highlighted challenges and differences of opinion on issues vital to the social and environmental fabric of the region. One of the determinations involved the approval of a counter-proposal to the initiative proposing to charge police costs to organizers and participants of unauthorized protests. This approach aims to promote greater individual responsibility and protect the rights of those who demonstrate peacefully. However, the initiative for “public and ecologically enhanced shores” was rejected with 64 percent of the votes against, highlighting the divergent views on the management of public spaces and the balance between environmental conservation and urban development. The decision to reject the initiative reflects deep reflection on the need to reconcile environmental protection with urban development and improved public access to natural resources.
Rejected introduction of 30 km/h speed limit in six municipalities in Canton Aargau
Six municipalities have rejected plans to introduce the 30 km/h speed limit. In Hausen, Koblenz, Riniken, Bettwil, Boswil and Gipf-Oberfrick, voters voted against this proposal. Voter turnout was high.
Lightening Tunnel project in Zug rejected for the second time
The citizens of Canton Zug have rejected for the second time in nine years a plan to build a second lightening tunnel for the city of Zug. Both proposed tunnels, the Zug tunnel 1953 meters long and costing 747.3 million francs, and the Unterägeri tunnel 1808 meters long and costing nearly 310 million francs, were rejected by the people.
Constitutional amendment in Canton Bern: Urgent laws will be able to take effect immediately
In Canton Bern, a constitutional amendment allows urgent laws to go into effect immediately. With the support of a majority of voters, laws passed by the cantonal parliament with at least a two-thirds vote will come into force without delay, followed by a referendum within six months.
Geneva: democratic reform and new official canton anthem
In the recent ballot in Geneva, significant democratic reforms saw the light of day along with the adoption of an official anthem. With 63.2 percent of the vote in favor, a new constitutional law was passed that reduces the number of signatures required to initiate popular initiatives, both constitutional and legislative, as well as simplifies the requirements for referendums. In addition, the law suspends signature collection during the Easter vacations, making the process smoother for citizens.
At the same time, the famous song in Geneva harpy, “Cé qu’è lainô,” was officially designated as the canton’s anthem. With the support of 61.77 percent of voters in a mandatory referendum, the constitutional amendment was ratified, underscoring the city’s historical and cultural connection to the song celebrating the victory over the Duke of Savoy in 1602.
However, not all proposals met with the same favor. An initiative to reduce the motor vehicle tax was rejected, highlighting a variety of opinions within the population. Voter turnout was significant, with 52.57 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots, showing a strong interest in democratic and cultural issues in the Canton of Geneva.
Fribourg: more investment in sustainable public transport
In the canton of Fribourg, voters approved a significant expansion of public transport with 57.8 percent of the vote in favor. The increase in cantonal equity participation by 60 million francs will enable public transport companies to invest nearly 600 million francs by 2030 to promote more sustainable mobility. This commitment to ecology reflects a growing environmental awareness and willingness to adopt more eco-friendly transportation solutions.
Initiative to limit state employees in Solothurn rejected
The 1:85 initiative in Solothurn canton, which aimed to establish a limit of one state employee for every 85 inhabitants, was rejected by a majority of citizens with 55.5 percent voting against. This means that the proposal to impose a strict limit on the number of state employees in proportion to the population was not accepted.
Approval of the initiative would have resulted in significant changes in the canton’s personnel management. However, voters preferred to follow the cantonal government’s warning about the risks of a “massive reduction in services” if the initiative was approved.
The debate over the balance between the number of state employees and the needs of the population animated the political discussion in Solothurn. While some emphasized the need for more efficient management of human resources, others feared that a hard limit could compromise quality and access to public services.
Despite the rejection of the 1:85 initiative, the debate on how to optimize the efficiency of state employee management remains open in the canton of Solothurn. The goal will be to strike a balance between efficiency and service quality while ensuring an adequate level of public services for all citizens.
Uri strengthens threat management: revisions to cantonal law approved
The canton of Uri has been given the green light to establish threat management at the cantonal level, aiming to improve the protection of the public from threats and dangers. Partial revisions to the cantonal police law won strong support, with 76 percent voting in favor. The partial revision of the environmental law was also accepted without controversy, reflecting the importance attached to safety and environmental protection in the region.
Lucerne: renovation of civil defense training center in Sempach approved
Canton Lucerne has won approval to partially renovate and refurbish its 50-year-old civil defense training center in Sempach. Voters voted in favor of this project, costing 37.8 million francs, with more than 70 percent voting in favor. Special funding of 30.3 million francs was then authorized for this initiative.
Canton of Valais: Extension of store opening hours and New Cantonal Constitution rejected
In the canton of Valais, the recent elections resulted in two significant referendum results: the rejection of the extension of store opening hours and the proposal for a new cantonal constitution.
The law on store opening (LOM) was rejected by 64.80 percent of voters, showing a clear preference for maintaining the current store operating hours. This result marks a shift in public support, with a gradual loss of support for extending hours over time. The Center and the FDP also revised their positions, reflecting greater caution in supporting the extension of opening hours.
In addition, the people rejected the proposal for a new cantonal constitution with 68 percent of the vote. The proposal included significant changes to the structure and organization of the cantonal government and legislature, sparking controversy and opposition, especially from the German-speaking minority. Concerns were mainly about political representation and regional balance in the new institutional framework.
Chur: counter-proposal to Climate Initiative approved
In Chur, the counter-proposal to the climate initiative was approved with 56.3% of the vote, while the initiative itself was rejected by 60.9% of voters. The turnout was 52.5%.
The counter-proposal calls for the transformation of part of the roadway during road resurfacing work into green spaces or meeting areas. However, the size of the road surface to be downgraded remains open, with the goal of not compromising spaces dedicated to pedestrians, bicycles and public transportation.
The initiative, spearheaded by the umverkehR association, proposed the transformation of 1 percent of Chur’s streets into green, pedestrian or bicycle spaces every year for 10 years.
Federalism: A comparative analysis between Switzerland and other federal countries
SVP strengthens its power in St. Gallen
The SVP/UDC party emerges as a big winner from the Cantonal Council elections in St. Gallen. The party now gains 42 seats, seven more than before. The Socialist Party loses one seat and now has 18, while FDP (19) and Greens (6) get three each. Centro (27), GLP (6) and PEV (2) maintain their stability.
St. Gallen State Council goes to the Ballot
In today’s election for the St. Gallen State Council, only five of the seven available seats were filled, thus leading to a runoff that will be held on April 14.
Stefan Kölliker (SVP) and Fredy Fässler (SP) did not stand for re-election. Current state councilors Susanne Hartmann (Center), Marc Mächler (FDP), Beat Tinner (FDP), Laura Bucher (SP) and Bruno Damann (Center) were elected in the first round.
Among the new candidates, Dana Zemp (SVP/UDC) received the most votes with 58,653 votes, followed by Christof Hartmann (SVP/UDC) with 58,059 votes, Bettina Surber (SP) with 48,457 votes, Daniel Bosshard (Greens) with 45,587 votes, independent Sarah Bösch with 39,522 votes, and Sarah Noger-Engeler (PVL) with 38,959 votes. A total of 13 candidates had entered the race.
Glarus Canton elections – Second round needed for replacement in State Council
With the election of Benjamin Mühlemann (FDP) last October to the Council of States, a seat in the Glarus government became available. The FDP aimed to defend this seat with Roger Schneider, however, this attempt failed in the first round of the election. Schneider came in third place with 2436 votes while Daniela Bösch-Widmer (Mitte) and Thomas Tschudi (SVP/UDC) received significantly more votes: 4587 votes for Bösch-Widmer and 4268 for Tschudi.
The participation rate in the election was 46.94 percent
Céline Huber elected to Uri State Council: First woman after four years of male government
In Canton Uri, after four years of male dominance in government, a woman, Céline Huber (36), was elected to the State Council. Huber succeeded in defending the CVP/Mitte seat. Current members Urs Janett (FDP), Christian Arnold (SVP), Urban Camenzind (CVP/Mitte) and Daniel Furrer (CVP/Mitte) were also re-elected in the first round. The second round of elections will be held on April 21.