2014 in Switzerland explained

The following lists events that happened during 2014 in Switzerland.

Incumbents

• Federal Council

• • • • Doris Leuthard Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
  • Ueli Maurer
  • Didier Burkhalter (President)
    • • • • Johann Schneider-Ammann Simonetta Sommaruga Alain Berset

Events

January

• January 20 – World leaders are meeting in Davos for the World Economic Forum.

February

• February 9 – 50.3% of voters vote in favor of the federal popular initiative "against mass immigration", to re-introduce quotas of immigrants for foreigners.^[1]

April

• April 6 – Holcim agrees to a merger that would create a firm with a market value of $55 billion with LaFarge of France.^[2]

May

• May 18 – Voters in Switzerland resoundingly reject a proposed law change that would have given that country the world's highest minimum wage.^[3]

August

• August 12–17 – The 2014 European Athletics Championships take place in Zürich.^[4]
• August 13 – Three train cars derail and 11 people are injured after a landslide hits a mountain train in the Swiss Alps.^[5]

November

• November 13 – A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor in Switzerland confirms existence of open criminal investigations regarding several people who may have taken part in manipulation of the currency exchange markets; such investigations are also underway in the United States and Britain.^[6]
• November 16 – At least four people are killed in mudslides in southern Switzerland and northern Italy after days of heavy rain.^[7]
• 22–29 November – The 2014 European Curling Championships take place in Champéry.^[8]
• November 30 – 2014 Swiss referendums
  • Voters in Switzerland (74%) reject the proposal to reduce immigration from about 80,000 to 16,000 people a year.^[9]
  • By a similar margin Swiss voters rejected a monetary-policy initiative that would have required the central bank to buy gold.^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Switzerland backs immigration quotas by slim margin . 10 February 2014 . 13 January 2015.
2. Web site: UPDATE 4-Cement makers Lafarge, Holcim agree merger plan -source . 6 April 2014 . 13 January 2015.
3. Web site: Swiss voters reject minimum wage, fighter jets . 18 May 2014 . 13 January 2015 . 2 May 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150502211533/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/swiss-cast-ballots-worlds-highest-minimum-wage . dead .
4. Web site: Olympedia – Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Athletics Championships . www.olympedia.org . 4 February 2024.
5. Web site: 11 injured as train cars derail in Swiss Alps . 13 August 2014 . 13 January 2015.
6. Web site: Switzerland opens criminal investigation into several individuals in forex case . 13 November 2014 . 13 January 2015.
7. Web site: Deadly mudslides engulf homes in Switzerland and Italy . 17 November 2014 . 13 January 2015.
8. Web site: Olympedia – Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Curling Championships . www.olympedia.org . 4 February 2024.
9. Web site: Ecopop referendum: Swiss reject immigration curbs . 30 November 2014 . 13 January 2015.
10. Web site: Swiss Voters Reject Measure Forcing SNB to Acquire More Gold . 1 December 2014 . 13 January 2015.