2017 Swiss referendums explained

Seven national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2017. Polling took place on 12 February, 21 May and 24 September,^[1] whilst no referendum was scheduled for the November date.^[2]

February referendums

Three referendums were held on 12 February:^[3]

• One on the federal decree of 30 September 2016, to allow easier naturalisation of third generation immigrants^[4]
• One on the federal decree of 30 September 2016, to create a fund for national roads and urban infrastructure^[5]
• One on the federal law of 17 June 2016, to overhaul the corporate tax code to attract and retain international firms^[6]

Results

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
	1,499,627	60.4	982,844	39.6	20,979	2,503,450	5,344,186	46.8	15	4	5	2
Road and infrastructure fund	1,503,746	61.9	923,783	38.1	63,791	2,491,320		46.6	20	6	0	0
Corporate tax code	989,311	40.9	1,428,162	59.1	73,312	2,490,785		46.6
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2, 3

May referendum

See also: Energy in Switzerland.

One referendum was held on 21 May on whether to accept the new Energy Act, establishing the Energy Strategy 2050, which seeks to phase out nuclear energy and increase renewable energy and energy efficiency.^{[7] [8] [9]} The plan was opposed by the Swiss People's Party, which launched the optional referendum against it.^[8] The Energy Act was approved by 58% of voters.

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout	Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Energy Act	1,322,263	58.2	949,053	41.8	25,980	2,297,296	5,356,538	42.9
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland

September referendums

On 24 September referendums were held on:

• A Federal Decree on Food Security^{[10] [11]}
• A Federal Decree on Additional Funding for OASI Pensions^[12]
• A Federal Act on the 2020 Pension Reforms

The latter two referendums were related, and the Federal Act on the 2020 Pension Reforms would only have gone into effect if the proposed VAT increase was also accepted by voters.^[13] The pension reform would have raised the women's retirement age to 65.^[14] The proposed reforms were supported by centre and left-of-centre parties and opposed by right-of-centre parties such as the FDP.The Liberals and the Swiss People's Party.^{[15] [16] [17]}

Question	For		Against		Invalid/ blank	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout	Cantons for		Cantons against		Result
	Votes	%	Votes	%					Full	Half	Full	Half
Food security	1,943,180	78.7	524,919	21.3	63,110	2,531,209	5,372,748	47.1	20	6	0	0
Additional funding for OASI pensions	1,254,795	50.0	1,257,156	50.0	34,435	2,546,386		47.4	9	1	11	5
2020 pension reforms	1,186,203	47.3	1,320,952	52.7	38,742	2,545,897		47.4
Source: Federal Chancellery of Switzerland 1, 2, 3

Notes and References

1. https://www.ch.ch/de/nachste-abstimmungen/ Daten der nächsten eidgenössischen Volksabstimmungen
2. https://www.admin.ch/gov/fr/accueil/documentation/communiques/communiques-conseil-federal.msg-id-67423.html Pas de votation populaire fédérale le 26 novembre 2017
3. Web site: Abstimmungsvorlagen für den 12. Februar 2017 . admin.ch . 16 January 2017 . de.
4. Web site: Geiser . Urs . Making it Easier for Young Foreigners to Become Swiss . 29 December 2016 . . 16 January 2017.
5. Web site: Siegenthaler . Peter . Wheels Put in Motion for Road Financing . 30 December 2016 . . 20 January 2017.
6. Web site: Allen . Matthew . Voters to Decide on the Price of Retaining Foreign Firms . 5 January 2017 . . 16 January 2017.
7. http://www.bfe.admin.ch/energiestrategie2050/index.html?lang=en Energy strategy 2050
8. Web site: Jorio . Luigi . Voting on Switzerland’s Energy Future . 10 April 2017 . . 18 April 2017.
9. Web site: Energiegesetz (EnG) . admin.ch . 18 April 2017 . de.
10. Web site: Federal Decree on Food Security (direct counter-proposal to the Popular Initiative ‘For food security’, which has now been withdrawn). admin.ch. en. 4 September 2017.
11. Web site: Fenazzi . Sonia . Enshrining Food Security, From the Farm to the Fork . August 22, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.
12. Web site: Federal Decree on Additional Funding for OASI Pensions by increasing the Rate of VAT / Federal Act on the 2020 Pension Reforms. 4 September 2017.
13. Web site: Swiss Vote Against Plan to Save Pensions . September 24, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.
14. News: Shields . Michael . Swiss Voters Reject Raising Women's Retirement Age . September 24, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.
15. Web site: Mombelli . Armando . Can ‘Old Age Security 2020’ Guarantee Pensions? . August 10, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.
16. Web site: Geiser . Urs . Major Pension Reform Fails In Nationwide Ballot . September 24, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.
17. Web site: Swiss Voters Nix Pension Reform In National Referendum . September 24, 2017 . . September 25, 2017.