A slap in the face and a success for the Federal Council and Parliament
Published: Sunday, Sep 22nd 2024, 18:50
Volver a Live Feed
No to pension fund reform, no to more biodiversity: voters made clear decisions on Sunday. While the status quo should remain in place for the promotion of biodiversity, there is agreement that a reform of the second pillar is necessary.
67% of voters rejected the BVG reform. This shows once again that complex reforms in old-age and occupational pensions have a difficult time. Lukas Golder, political scientist at gfs.bern, spoke on Swiss television SRF of a "slap in the face" and a "slap in the face" for the Federal Council and parliament.
The No vote means that the backlog of pension reform remains. On the evening of Sunday's vote, interpretations of the result of the referendum diverged, as did ideas on how to proceed.
Social Affairs Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider announced that she would make contact with the most important players. The Federal Council, Parliament and the social partners must assume their responsibilities. "We need to adapt the system to new circumstances."
The proposal for the reform of the second pillar was highly controversial during the referendum campaign. Supporters spoke of a "good compromise", while opponents described the reform as "terrible". Among other things, the focus was on the complexity of the bill. The incorrect AHV figures published by the federal government were obviously also grist to the opponents' mill.
The Federal Council's next priority will be smaller reform steps. The lowering of the entry threshold and the adjustment of the coordination deduction planned with the BVG reform could therefore soon be on the agenda again.
No stricter protection requirements
Following the No to the biodiversity initiative, there are no stricter requirements for the protection of nature, landscapes and sites. The supporters' argument that Switzerland is facing a biodiversity crisis was not accepted by voters. The initiative was rejected by 63 percent.
What is being done today remains the same. This includes conservation inventories, financial support and the Biodiversity Action Plan. The supporters wanted to take the Federal Council and Parliament at their word that the existing laws and planned measures are sufficient to protect biodiversity.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic