Dom, Mar 3rd 2024
Swiss voters face a broad array of proposals, from Zurich’s airport expansion to Geneva’s cantonal anthem.
Zurich airport, a lakeside path, a new constitution or a cantonal anthem: The complexity of the substantive proposals on voting Sunday is hard to beat. The people of Geneva alone will decide on eight of the 22 substantive proposals in nine cantons.
In addition to the runway extension at the airport and the lakeside path initiative, the people of Zurich will also vote on the SVP’s “Anti-Chaoten-Initiative”.
A new constitution is under discussion in the canton of Valais. It provides for an increase in the government from the current five to seven members.
Another controversial issue is a new key for elections to the cantonal parliament, which could massively weaken the German-speaking Upper Valais. And the right to vote for foreigners is also being discussed as a variant.
Things are getting musical and patriotic in the canton of Geneva: at the request of the SVP, the unofficial Geneva anthem “Cé qu’è lainô”, which has been sung since the 17th century, is to be enshrined in the cantonal constitution.
Written in Franco-Provençal (Patois), the song with 68 verses tells the story of the Escalade, the attempted conquest of Geneva by the Savoys on December 12, 1602.
In addition, the people of Geneva will vote on halving motor vehicle taxes and the design of a major urban development project. Another topic is the number of signatures required for initiatives and referendums, which was previously set annually in line with population trends, a first in Switzerland.
In the canton of Solothurn, a popular initiative by the FDP to limit the number of state employees is put to the vote.
The canton of Zug is voting on two relief tunnels in the cantonal capital and in Unterägeri. The town tunnel project, which was rejected in a vote nine years ago, is being revisited.
The canton of Bern wants to be able to bring urgent laws into force immediately by amending the constitution. A new police law, which aims to better protect the population from threats and dangers, and the revised environmental law will be put to the vote in the canton of Uri.
In the canton of Fribourg, the efforts of transport companies to make their operations more environmentally friendly are to receive financial support. In the canton of Lucerne, a decision will be made on a commitment credit for a new civil protection center.
©Keystone/SDA
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