Swiss Plan on Construction Limits Set to Be Rejected, Poll Finds

(Bloomberg) — A Swiss proposal to limit construction and expand the protection of nature reserves has lost favor with voters, according to a poll less than two weeks before a plebiscite on the matter.

In the survey published by public broadcaster SRG SSR on Wednesday, 46% of respondents support the measure, while 51% oppose it. That compares to a small majority in favor at the first poll in mid-August.

This means that Switzerland’s plans to expand renewable energy will likely not face limitations from the initiative. The poll suggests a vote along party lines, with sympathizers of left and green parties as well as urban residents supporting the plan, while right, centrist and rural voters are mostly against it.

Voters will also cast their ballots on a government reform of companies’ pension funds on Sept. 22. The plan envisages — among other things — lower retirement payments and bigger wage deductions to cope with higher life expectancy. Unions collected the required 50,000 signatures to challenge the proposal in a referendum.

Opponents have gained traction since the last survey, with 51% of respondents now against the reform. According to pollster gfs.bern, this is mainly due to voters considering the plan a “fraud,” given higher contributions now will still yield lower payouts during retirement. Following similar reasoning, Swiss citizens also turned down a proposal to raise the retirement age earlier this year.

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