Voters back Covid-19 measures – again

The “Fifth Switzerland” was even more clearly in favour, with 68.5 per cent voting yes. Commentators said it was a vote of confidence for the government’s handling of the pandemic, after what was a fractious referendum campaign at times. The result was more emphatic than in June, when the Covid-19 Act was first put to the people. The yes vote accounted for 60.2 per cent then. Switzerland is the only country in the world that allows people to vote directly on measures to curb the pandemic. The referendum on the Covid-19 Act came after numerous rallies against the measures, some of them violent.

No drawing of lots to appoint judges

The Justice Initiative was decisively rejected by 68.1 per cent of the electorate. All cantons said no to the idea of drawing lots in future to choose the members of the Federal Supreme Court (FSC), with 65.3 per cent of Swiss Abroad also voting against. Political parties will therefore continue to influence the process of appointing FSC judges. Judges in Switzerland must belong to a political party, to which they pay an annual subscription fee.