Parties spend more on September vote than announced
Published: Friday, Dec 6th 2024, 12:50
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Parties and committees have spent more money than announced in the course of their campaigns for the national referendums on September 22. According to the report published on Friday by the Swiss Federal Audit Office, the most money was spent on the campaigns for the biodiversity initiative.
A total of CHF 6.1 million was spent on the biodiversity initiative campaign, as the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) announced on Friday. CHF 5.5 million had been announced. The pro-committee spent CHF 4.1 million (CHF 800,000 more than originally announced), while the opponents spent CHF 2 million (CHF 2.2 million announced).
For the second referendum on Sunday, the referendum against the reform of the occupational pension scheme (BVG reform), the campaign budget of CHF 5.5 million more or less corresponded to the announcement of CHF 5.7 million, as the SFAO also reported. The "yes" camp spent CHF 3.7 million, while the opponents of the referendum, led by the SP and the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), spent CHF 1.9 million.
CHF 11.8 million was spent on both proposals, while around CHF 10.9 million had been announced 30 days before the vote. According to the SFAO, the final bill was therefore seven percent higher than expected.
The SFAO audited six of the 13 campaigns reported in the course of the federal votes. Campaigns with a budget of more than CHF 50,000 and donations of more than CHF 15,000 must be reported to the SFAO by the political actors.
Both the "For the future of our nature and landscape" initiative (biodiversity initiative) and the BVG reform were rejected by voters at the ballot box.
©Keystone/SDA
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