Zurich parliament rejects local voting rights for non-Swiss residents
Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
Foreigners living in Switzerland’s most populous canton will continue to be unable to vote or be elected at the municipal level following a vote by Zurich’s parliament.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Español
es
Zúrich rechaza el derecho de voto a su población extranjera
On Monday Zurich parliament narrowly turned down – 84 against, 82 for, and two abstentions – a proposal by city officials to grant local voting rights to non-Swiss passport holders in Zurich.
The initiative, pushed by left-of-centre parties, would have allowed municipalities to decide themselves whether to introduce voting rights for foreigners at the communal level.
Supporters of the initiative had pointed to positive voting experiences in other cantons.
Eight of the 26 cantons (Vaud, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura, Fribourg, Appenzell Outer Rhodes, Graubünden and Basel City) and some 600 municipalities, notably in French-speaking western Switzerland, offer voting rights to non-Swiss passport holders, who represent a quarter of the total population of 8.7 million.
But opponents in Zurich argued that foreigners should obtain the right to vote and stand for election at all levels via the naturalisation process, as is currently the case.
In 2019, Zurich’s mayor, Corine Mauch, announced plans to launch an initiative to give foreigners living in Zurich the right to take part in local votes and elections.
“Almost a third of the city’s population has no voting rights, and among 30-39-year-olds – the largest age group – it’s around a half,” she said. “In a very active phase of their life, these people have no decision-making power.”
In 2013, a similar initiative to give the vote to non-Swiss in canton Zurich – in this case, those resident for ten years – was rejected by three-quarters of voters.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Swissinfo's parent company, must restructure due to financial pressures and to stay competitive in the fast-moving media environment.
This content was published on
There has been a sharp decline in the consumption of single-use disposable plastic bags and reusable plastic bags in the Swiss retail sector.
This content was published on
A biometric Swiss identity card (ID) is expected to be available in Switzerland by the end of 2026. The Federal Office of Police and its federal and cantonal partners are working on a new ID card that features a chip.
Heatwave reduces output at Swiss nuclear power plant by 50%
This content was published on
The ongoing heatwave has forced the Beznau nuclear power plant, which relies on water from the River Aare, to halve its output.
Swiss continue to enjoy high social mobility, study shows
This content was published on
Opportunities for upward social mobility have remained intact in Switzerland since the 1980s. Social mobility is exceptionally high by international comparison, a study shows.
Swiss government affected by cyberattack on health foundation
This content was published on
Switzerland says a ransomware attack on the non-profit health foundation Radix that involved data being stolen and encrypted had also affected the federal administration.
Federal Council agrees to investigation into alleged Swiss-Russian spying affair
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland can open spying investigations into the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS).
Appeal launched against Starlink satellite antennae project planned in Swiss village
This content was published on
A group of Swiss citizens has filed an appeal against plans to install 40 Starlink satellite antennae in the mountain village of Leuk in southern Switzerland.
UBS launches buyback scheme for up to $2 billion in shares
This content was published on
UBS is starting a share buyback programme for up to $2 billion (CHF1.6 billion) in shares, in line with a plan approved at its annual general meeting (AGM) in April, the Swiss bank said on Monday.
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.