Yesterday the Swiss went to the urns to decide on a series of issues on the national, cantonal and local levels. We wrote about the various topics recently and you can read about them here.
Here are the results:
Für verantwortungsvolle Unternehmen – zum Schutz von Mensch und Umwelt – For responsible companies – to protect human rights and the environment.
This initiative wanted to force companies headquartered in Switzerland to take responsibility for crimes committed by their companies or subsidiaries or partners against people and the environment worldwide. This topic got more people voting in favour of it than against it (50.7% yes) but what counts is how many cantons voted in favour of the initiative. Only 8.5 cantons voted in favour so it was rejected. Showing that the rösti graben does exist, the French speaking cantons were heavily in favour whilst the German speaking cantons were against it.
Für ein Verbot der Finanzierung von Kriegsmaterialproduzenten – For a ban on the financing of producers of war materials.
57.5% of the voters voted against the initiative aimed at forbidding funds and governmental organisations to invest in companies that are manufacturing weapons of war.
Luzerner Kulturlandschaft Initiatives – Lucerne’s cultural landscape initiatives
On a cantonal levels voters were asked to vote on the two initiativesd aimed at restricting the growth of urbanisation in the canton. Both initiatives were rejected (67.7% and 67.6%) and the canton’s counter suggestion was accepted (50.4%)
Teilrevision der Bau- und Zonenordnung Stadtteil Luzern – Partial revision of the building and zoning regulations for the district of Lucerne
Locally 63% of voters were in favour of the revisions to the building and zoning regulations, including allowing the reformed church to build in Würzenbach.
In Kriens the Pilatus Arena project was accepted (51.3% yes) but the project to build 45 appartments on the Sonnenberghang was rejected (50.4%).
Nationally 47% of Swiss turned out to vote, which was much lower than last time (60%). It was the first time since 1955 that an initiative got more votes in favour of it and, yet, lost out because more cantons voted against it.
The next round of initiatives will be voted on March 7th 2021, one of the initiatives aims to forbid the wearing of a burka in public spaces. I am sure that there will be a lot of debate around this one in the new year.
