Several federal referendums were held in Switzerland in 2019, with votes taking place on 10 February and 19 May.
Federal parliamentary elections were held on 20 October, which led the
Swiss Federal Council to postpone the November round of voting until 2020.
February referendum
In February voters decided on a
popular initiative named "Stop the Sprawl – for sustainable development in construction", which would have prevented building zones being expanded, with possible exception made for agriculture or public use on the basis that an equivalent amount of land currently registered as building zone be declassified and
rewilded.
[Swiss voters asked to decide on urban sprawl]
Swiss Info, 7 January 2019
The proposal was put forward by the Young Greens in 2015. It was also supported by the Small Farmers Association and the
Young Socialists, as well as several environmental organisations, and gathered 113,000 signatures.
[ However, it was opposed by the Federal Council, with Environment Minister Doris Leuthard claiming the idea was "too radical, unfair and counterproductive".][ An opinion poll published in December 2018 showed 63% of voters to be in favour and 29% opposed.
]
Results
May referendums
Two optional referendums were held on 19 May: one on a law reforming the financing of the Swiss pension system's " first pillar", and another on transposing the European gun control
Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians.
Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...
directive (an update to the Schengen acquis
The Schengen acquis is a set of rules and legislation, integrated into European Union law, which regulate the abolition of border controls at the internal borders within the Schengen Area, as well as the strengthening of border controls at the e ...
) into Swiss law.Arrêté fédéral portant approbation et mise en œuvre de l’échange de notes entre la Suisse et l’UE concernant la reprise de la directive (UE) 2017/853 modifiant la directive de l’UE sur les armes (Développement de l’acquis de Schengen)
Federal Chancellery Both proposals were approved.
Results
References
{{Swiss elections
Referendums in Switzerland
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
Referendums