Swiss voters outlaw homophobia in landmark referendum

11 February 2020

Welcome to the newsletter for The Local Switerland

11 FEBRUARY, 2020

Referenda are commonplace in Switzerland and one canton used the opportunity to push through new stricter rules for anyone seeking Swiss citizenship.

The big news out of the neutral nation this Tuesday has come as a result of the latest round of Swiss referenda. On Sunday, Swiss voters strongly supported a law which would criminalise homophobia. Voters however rejected the other main initiative, which would have helped make housing more affordable in Switzerland’s cities – although as we reported, it’s not all bad news.

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The social taboos you should never break in Switzerland

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While Switzerland’s love of a referendum may be causing a political storm, residents were faced with storms of a literal variety as roads and train lines were cut, flights were downed and buildings were damaged.

Ahead of the next round of referenda in May, the Swiss Government also warned the public about a planned initiative which they say would ‘end free movement’ and ‘threaten economic prosperity’.

Daniel
The Local Switzerland
daniel.wighton@thelocal.com

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