Ban on paid signature collection rejected in 2021
Published: Monday, Sep 2nd 2024, 20:50
Back to Live Feed
A ban on paid signature collection was rejected in the National Council in 2021. By 123 votes to 61 with one abstention, the large chamber voted against a motion by former SP National Councillor Mathias Reynard (VS), which was therefore tabled.
The SP and the Greens were in favor of the motion. The SVP, FDP, Center Party and GLP voted against. The Federal Council also spoke out against a ban. Such a ban would be "disproportionate and ineffective", argued the then Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr.
It cannot be concluded from individual cases that unfair methods are generally used when collecting paid signatures. Rather, it is the responsibility of the committees to ensure that fair methods are used to collect signatures for their petition for a referendum - regardless of whether they use paid signature collectors or not.
Last year, the Federal Council did not approve a planned ban on the paid collection of signatures for federal popular initiatives and referendums in the canton of Neuchâtel. However, the ban on the paid collection of signatures for cantonal and communal initiatives and referendums in the canton of Neuchâtel was not affected by the Federal Council's decision, it wrote at the time.
In 2021, the canton of Neuchâtel amended the law on political rights and wanted to ban the paid collection of signatures for federal, cantonal and communal popular initiatives and referendums. However, cantonal implementing provisions must be approved by the federal government in order to be valid.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic