{"id":235924,"date":"2025-10-01T10:58:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T10:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/referendum-25-09-25\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T06:50:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T06:50:30","slug":"referendum-25-09-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/referendum-25-09-25\/","title":{"rendered":"September 28, 2025 a popular vote between innovation and tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

September 28, 2025 a popular vote between innovation and tradition<\/span><\/h2>\n

September 28, 2025 will remain a historic day for Switzerland: the people cast their vote on important federal issues, while in several cantons significant local consultations took place.<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
\"Votazioni
Voting in Switzerland – Image by Grok<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a rich and decisive electoral round, involving political, social, and economic issues of broad impact. From the tax reform and the introduction of the E\u2011ID at the national level, to cantonal votes on health, environment, social justice, and taxation, voters drew lines of choice that reflect deep territorial and ideological differences. The results highlight a country divided between innovation and tradition, between urban needs and rural sensitivities, opening the way to new challenges for the future of the Confederation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Federal votes<\/span><\/h2>\n

Abolition of the imputed rental value<\/span><\/h3>\n

The reform was approved with 57.7% of favorable votes, with the majority of cantons in agreement. The project provides for the elimination of the imputed rental value tax by 2028 and the introduction of a new cantonal property tax on secondary homes. The decision favors owners of occupied homes, reducing the tax burden, especially for pensioners.<\/span><\/p>\n

The imputed rental value had been introduced in Switzerland in the 1940s as a measure to fairly tax the benefit derived from owning an occupied home, ensuring stable tax revenues for cantons and municipalities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Political reactions were mixed: left-wing parties and tenants\u2019 associations denounced an increase in inequalities and a risk of rising rents. The votes showed strong geographical divisions: most of the cantons in German-speaking Switzerland supported the reform, while in French-speaking Switzerland a majority opposed it. Tourist cantons such as Valais rejected the measure, while Ticino and Graub\u00fcnden approved it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Electronic identity law (E\u2011ID)<\/span><\/h3>\n

The E\u2011ID Gesetz project was narrowly approved: 50.39% \u201cyes\u201d against 49.61% \u201cno.\u201d This is a significant victory after a previous version of the law, put to a vote in 2021, had been rejected by the majority of voters. The new version introduced greater guarantees of security, transparency, and personal data protection, seeking to address concerns expressed at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

A relevant fact of this round is the clear territorial difference: in large cities such as Zurich, Geneva, and Basel the E\u2011ID received support above 55\u201360%, while in rural areas the majority was opposed. This highlights a clear divide between those living in urban contexts, more open to digitalization, and those living in rural areas, more distrustful of innovations of this kind, especially for reasons related to security and privacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swiss vote result of 24 November 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Cantonal votes: a national overview<\/span><\/h2>\n

In addition to federal issues, several cantons went to the polls for local and regional votes on political, social, and economic matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Bern<\/strong>: approved with 51.2%<\/strong> an initiative against unjustified rent increases, which requires landlords to communicate to new tenants the previous rent when the vacancy rate is equal to or less than 1.5%<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Solothurn<\/strong>: rejected (64.51%<\/strong>) a new regulation on the care of children complementary to the family.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Vaud<\/strong>: rejected (56.07%<\/strong>) a constitutional revision to facilitate voting rights for foreigners; approved (52.58%<\/strong>) an amendment to allow small parties to enter the cantonal parliament more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Zurich<\/strong>: rejected (59.3%<\/strong>) a regulation to advance the target of net-zero CO\u2082 emissions to 2040<\/strong>, maintaining the federal target of 2050<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Fribourg<\/strong>: rejected an initiative to protect Lake Gruy\u00e8re<\/strong> (60%<\/strong>); approved a credit of over 50 million francs<\/strong> for the construction of a new prison (66.77%<\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Basel-Stadt<\/strong>: approved (64.5%<\/strong>) an initiative to constitutionally enshrine \u201cgood and stable relations<\/strong>\u201d with the EU and neighboring countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Thurgau<\/strong>: approved (51.1%<\/strong>) the abolition of the ban on dancing on major religious holidays.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Geneva<\/strong>: in addition to votes on local issues, the first round of a supplementary election for the Council of State<\/strong> took place: Nicolas Walder (Green Party<\/strong>) leading with 32,573 votes<\/strong>, who will face Lionel Dugerdil in the second round on October 19<\/strong>. Two proposals to limit public spending and a SVP initiative on police immunity were rejected; a proposal to increase housing cooperatives to 10% by 2030<\/strong> was approved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Schwyz<\/strong>: approved (53.25%<\/strong>) an increase in starting salaries for teachers to address the shortage of educators.<\/span><\/p>\n

Appenzell Outer Rhodes<\/strong>: rejected (71.5%<\/strong>) an initiative against the coercion of children and adolescents during health crises.<\/span><\/p>\n

St. Moritz<\/strong>: rejected the proposal to replace the municipal secretary with a CEO; approved the reduction from 17 to 11 municipal councilors<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

City of Zurich<\/strong>: approved (61.7%<\/strong>) the ban on the use of petrol leaf blowers, with restrictions also for battery-powered models.<\/span><\/p>\n

Canton of Ticino<\/strong>: the canton approved both popular initiatives on health insurance premiums, expressing a clear electoral stance on health and taxation.<\/span><\/p>\n