Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Organ donations, Frontex and ‘Netflix levy’ set for public votes

Campaigners with wall of cardboard boxes with signatures
Campaigners get ready to hand in the signatures against additional funds from Switzerland for the European border agency, Frontex........ © Keystone/Peter Schneider

Voters in Switzerland are likely to have the final say in May on organ donations, the European border agency and a levy on video streaming companies.

Separate committees on Thursday handed in the signatures collected over the past 100 days to force a nationwide vote on the three issues.

Under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, it takes at least 50,000 valid signatures to challenge a parliamentary decision to a ballot.

The government has set May 15 as the date for the three votes.

Presumed consent

Parliament last year agreed to change the organ donation system from explicit to presumed consent, prompting opposition from a committee mainly made up of representatives from civil society.

The committee said it collected about 64,000 signatures over the past 100 days.

A decision by parliament to impose a 4% levy on video streaming companies to help the Swiss film industry and to impose a quota of European film productions on streaming platforms will also face a nationwide vote.

The legal amendment was challenged by youth chapters of political parties on the right and centre-right of the political spectrum. They say they gathered about 70,000 signatures from Swiss citizens against the “illiberal” reform.

Frontex

A third referendum aims to veto a parliamentary decision to increase Switzerland’s contribution to the European border agency Frontex by a factor of four to CHF61 million ($66 million) by 2027.

An alliance of civil rights groups and left-wing parties opposing the parliamentary decision also handed in their signatures at the Federal Chancellery.

Campaigners said they handed in about 62,000 signatures.

Campaigners against a levy on video streaming platform posing outside a government building
…..while other campaigners were posing with their boxes full of signatures before handing them on the same day. © Keystone/Peter Schneider

Most Read
Swiss Abroad

Most Discussed

News

UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza
Antibiotic use on the rise again in Switzerland

More

Rise in use of antibiotics in Switzerland

This content was published on The consumption of antibiotics has risen in Switzerland since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, compared to other European countries the Alpine country has one of the lowest levels of antibiotic usage.

Read more: Rise in use of antibiotics in Switzerland
Bolton: "Switzerland must join NATO, neutrality with no future"

More

John Bolton insists Switzerland should join NATO

This content was published on Switzerland should join NATO, as in the future it cannot rely on its long-standing tradition of neutrality for its defence, John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, declared in an interview on Sunday.

Read more: John Bolton insists Switzerland should join NATO
Russian opponents demonstrate in Geneva against the Putin regime

More

Russian Putin critics demonstrate in Switzerland

This content was published on A demonstration was held in Geneva on Sunday calling for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Around 50 Russians took part in the gathering outside the UN building.

Read more: Russian Putin critics demonstrate in Switzerland

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR