Direct democracy
Switzerland: Popular initiative for 13th pension payment accepted
A poster from the “No to the 13th AHV pension” committee in French-speaking Switzerland at the train station. photo
© Valentin Flauraud/KEYSTONE/dpa
In Switzerland, the vast majority vote for a 13th year pension – an even larger majority rejects raising the retirement age.
In a referendum, the Swiss voted with a large majority for a 13th Annual pension payment enforced. According to projections, 58 percent of those eligible to vote approved the union proposal, against the recommendation of the government and parliament.
Popular initiatives must be accepted not only by the majority of the entire population, but also by the majority of the 26 cantons. According to projections, this hurdle has also been overcome, as Lukas Golder from the opinion research institute gfs.bern said on Swiss television.
A second proposal to increase the retirement age beyond 65 clearly failed with around 75 percent voting against.
Yes in Zurich to the extension of the airport runways
The runways at Zurich Airport can be extended northwards into Germany and westwards. In a referendum in Zurich, the majority of those entitled to vote were clearly in favor of it, as shown by a cantonal projection after counting 109 of 174 municipalities. The trend could no longer tip into a no, it was said. The canton assumed approval of at least 55 percent.
German district administrators were critical of the project. “There should be no additional burden on the people in the German border region,” demanded district administrators Martin Kistler (Waldshut), Zeno Danner (Konstanz) and Sven Hinterseh (Schwarzwald-Baar). The end of a runway is only around twelve kilometers as the crow flies from the German border.