2005 Swiss referendums

Last updated

Five referendums were held in Switzerland during 2005. [1] The first two were held on 5 June on Switzerland joining the Schengen Area and whether registered partnerships for same-sex couples should be introduced. Both questions were approved. [2] The third was held on 25 September on a federal resolution on extending the agreement on free movement of people to new members of the European Union, and was also approved. [3] The final two were held on 27 November on a popular initiative "for food from an agriculture free of genetic modification" and on a labour law related to the opening times of shops in public transport hubs. Both were approved. [3]

Contents

June referendums

Schengen

Background

In a 1992 referendum Swiss voters rejected membership of the European Economic Area, which had been seen as a stepping stone on the way to membership of the European Union (EU). [4] Polls consistently showed that the Swiss did not want to join the European Union, which was confirmed in a 2001 referendum where over 75% voted against membership. [5] The traditional Swiss policy of avoiding foreign entanglements was also shown by it not joining the United Nations until 2002. [6] Business and political leaders in Switzerland however were concerned over Switzerland being isolated so the Swiss government pursued a policy of bilateral agreements with the European Union. [7] The EU required Switzerland to join the Schengen Agreement in order that other areas of the relationship, such as trade agreements, could continue. [4]

In the referendum the Swiss were asked to decide whether Switzerland should become part of the Schengen and Dublin agreements. If the Schengen agreement was accepted then Switzerland would have to open their borders and end any systematic checks on identity at the borders by 2007. Switzerland would become part of a passport free zone, however customs controls would remain as Switzerland was not a member of the European Union. [2] The agreements would also mean that Switzerland and the European Union would share information on crime and asylum applications. [7] The Dublin agreement would let Switzerland turn away any asylum applicants who had already claimed asylum in another signatory of the agreements. [8] The Swiss government estimated that this would reduce applications by about 20%. [9]

Campaign

The Swiss government and parliament approved the accession of Switzerland to the agreements in 2003 but the Swiss People's Party collected 86,000 signatures in order to force a referendum on the agreements. [10] The government sold the agreements as a security arrangement which had nothing to do with membership of the European Union. They said that Switzerland was completely surrounded by the European Union and could not solve problems on their own. [4]

Opponents, including the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland and the Swiss People's Party, [7] linked the agreements to fears over immigration. They also said that by agreeing to these agreements the government was taking Switzerland closer to European Union membership and that the agreements would give more power to bureaucrats in Brussels. [4]

Opinion polls before the referendum showed about 55% in favour and 35% against, with the rest undecided. [4] As the referendum neared, the polls showed that support was falling, with the rejection of the European constitution in referendums in France and the Netherlands encouraging opponents of the agreements. [11]

Results

ChoiceVotes%
For1,477,26054.6
Against1,227,04245.4
Invalid votes15,710–
Blank votes25,255–
Total2,745,267100
Registered voters/turnout4,836,71256.8
Source: Nohlen

The results showed about 1.47 million voted in favour of the Schengen agreement which was about 55% of those who voted. Turnout, at 55.9% of voters, was about 10% higher than usual in Swiss referendums. [2] Those Swiss who lived abroad were strongly in favour of joining the Schengen area, while within Switzerland German speakers in eastern Switzerland were mainly against and French speakers in western Switzerland were mainly in favour. [7]

Results by canton
Swiss EU bilateral treaty referendum results by canton .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} Yes-votes No-votes Swiss Schengen and Dublin treaty referendum results by canton, 2005.png
Swiss EU bilateral treaty referendum results by canton
  Yes-votes
  No-votes
CantonYesNoElectorateVotesValid votesInvalid votes
Vaud 144,96269,643378,421217,393214,6052,788
Valais 56,40749,082192,368108,198105,4892,709
Genève 83,67249,304223,612135,225132,9762,249
Bern 201,633153,062690,777358,387354,6953,692
Freiburg 54,67837,526168,09693,78892,2041,584
Solothurn 49,95943,559167,00294,39593,518877
Neuchâtel 44,69718,307105,85263,72663,004722
Jura 15,2269,77948,63225,37725,005372
Basel-Stadt 45,20224,765115,14070,76369,967796
Basel-Landschaft 59,47042,574181,146103,479102,0441,435
Aargau 93,32399,644369,928194,078192,9671,111
Zürich 280,560202,580822,388492,601483,1409,461
Glarus 5,3178,24825,03713,66713,565102
Schaffhausen 15,35317,63648,20334,15732,9891,168
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 9,97612,52836,19922,68622,504182
Appenzell Innerrhoden 1,8934,11910,4726,0666,01254
St.Gallen 75,85685,740294,030162,387161,596791
Graubünden 29,21736,228131,00266,71965,4451,274
Thurgau 36,00945,124148,68283,30481,1332,171
Luzern 73,04874,104240,825149,512147,1522,360
Uri 5,2358,28525,57713,67613,520156
Schwyz 21,13534,37191,20756,95855,5061,452
Obwalden 5,7067,96823,20014,17313,674499
Nidwalden 7,3329,84428,76417,60617,176430
Zug 22,34119,51568,64142,69441,856838
Ticino 39,05363,507201,511104,252102,5601,692
Source: European Election Database

Reactions

The government of Switzerland welcomed the results and promised not to ignore opponents of the agreements. [2] The European Commission also welcomed the result of the referendum and described it as an "important step" in Swiss-EU relations. [12] Opponents called on the government to withdraw their application for membership of the European Union. [7] Meanwhile, an upcoming referendum in September on extending the free movement of labour to the 10 newest members of the European Union was seen as likely to be a harder test. [4] [7]

Registered partnerships

Switzerland was the last republic in Europe to give women the right to vote but in this referendum the Swiss became the first in Europe to hold a referendum on increased rights for same-sex couples. [2] [13] Approval in the referendum would mean that same-sex couples would be able to register their partnerships at civil register offices. These registered partnerships would be legally binding agreements which could only be dissolved in the courts. [13] Same-sex couples would get the same inheritance, pension, social security and tax rights and obligations as heterosexual couples. [13] However they would not get the right to adopt or get fertility treatment. [2]

A leader of the campaign for the approval of registered partnerships estimated that about 5 to 10% of the population were homosexual however the government did not expect a large number of people to register their partnerships. [13] Registered partnerships had already been introduced in the cantons of Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Zurich. [14] Parliament approved the introduction of the registered partnerships but conservatives gathered the necessary number of signatures to force a referendum. [8]

The government's opinion was that Switzerland needed registered partnerships as the current situation gave "insufficient legal protection" for such same-sex relationships. [14] Opponents including the Swiss People's Party, Evangelical People's Party and some church groups opposed the introduction of the partnerships as they wanted to keep marriage and the family as a special status. [13] A poll in April showed 66% in favour and 24% against, while another in May had 67% in favour and 24% against. [13]

Results

The result of the referendum had most cantons in favour of the introduction of the registered partnerships with opposition concentrated mainly in the Roman Catholic central and southern areas of Switzerland. [7]

ChoiceVotes%
For1,559,84858.0
Against1,127,52042.0
Invalid votes15,902–
Blank votes36,110–
Total2,739,380100
Registered voters/turnout4,836,71256.6
Source: Nohlen

September referendum

ChoiceVotes%
For1,458,68656.0
Against1,147,14044.0
Invalid votes16,535–
Blank votes18,569–
Total2,640,930100
Registered voters/turnout4,852,27254.4
Source: Nohlen

November referendums

QuestionForAgainstBlank/invalidTotalRegistered
voters		TurnoutCantons forCantons against
Votes%Votes%BlankInvalidFullHalfFullHalf
Popular initiative against genetically modified food1,125,83555.7896,482544.323,04611,3432,056,7064,859,43742.320600
Labour law1,026,83350.61,003,90049.418,28111,0682,060,08242.4
Source: Nohlen

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Free Trade Association</span> Regional trade organization and free trade area

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The organization operates in parallel with the European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European Single Market and are part of the Schengen Area. They are not, however, party to the European Union Customs Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iceland is heavily integrated into the European Union via the Agreement on the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement, despite its status as a non-EU member state. Iceland applied for membership in 2009 but the application was controversial and the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter in 2015 ending the application process.

Romania does not allow same-sex marriage or civil unions. In June 2018, the European Court of Justice ruled that under certain circumstances same-sex spouses of European Union citizens should be granted a right of residency in Romania. The Constitution of Romania does not define marriage directly, but Article 48 of the Constitution defines marriages between "spouses" as the foundation of the family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Referendums related to the European Union</span> List of referendums related to the European Union and its predecessor, the European Communities

This is a list of referendums related to the European Union, or referendums related to the European Communities, which were predecessors of the European Union. Since 1972, a total of 48 referendums have been held by EU member states, candidate states, and their territories, with several additional referendums held in countries outside the EU. The referendums have been held most commonly on the subject of whether to become a member of European Union as part of the accession process, although the EU does not require any candidate country to hold a referendum to approve membership or as part of treaty ratification. Other EU-related referendums have been held on the adoption of the euro and on participation in other EU-related policies.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Switzerland since 1 July 2022. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples passed the Swiss Parliament in December 2020. The law was challenged in a referendum on 26 September 2021 by opponents of same-sex marriage and was approved with the support of 64% of voters and a majority in all 26 cantons. The law went into force on 1 July 2022. A provision of the law permitting same-sex marriages performed abroad to be recognised in Switzerland took effect on 1 January 2022.

Liechtenstein has recognized same-sex registered partnerships since 1 September 2011 following approval by voters in a referendum. Liechtenstein was the second country in the world to pass a partnership law by referendum, after Switzerland in 2005.

Lithuania does not recognise same-sex marriages or civil unions. A bill to grant same-sex couples some limited legal rights and benefits is pending in the Seimas.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Estonia since 1 January 2024. The government elected in the March 2023 election, led by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and consisting of the Reform Party, the Social Democrats and Estonia 200, vowed to legalize same-sex marriage. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples was introduced to the Riigikogu in May 2023, and was approved in a final reading by 55 votes to 34 on 20 June. It was signed into law by President Alar Karis on 27 June, and took effect on 1 January 2024. Estonia was the first Baltic state and the 20th country in Europe to legalise same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norway–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Norway is not a member state of the European Union (EU). However, it is associated with the Union through its membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), signed in 1992 and established in 1994. Norway was a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960, which was originally set up as an alternative to the European Economic Community (EEC), the main predecessor of the EU. Norway had considered joining both the EEC and the European Union, but opted to decline following referendums in 1972 and 1994. According to the European Social Survey conducted in 2018, 73.6% of Norwegians would vote 'No' in a referendum to join the European Union. Norway borders two EU member states, namely Finland and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 enlargement of the European Union</span> Accession of Croatia to the European Union

The most recent enlargement of the European Union saw Croatia become the European Union's 28th member state on 1 July 2013. The country applied for EU membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004. The entry negotiations, while originally set for March 2005, began in October that year together with the screening process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Switzerland–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union (EU). It is associated with the Union through a series of bilateral treaties in which Switzerland has adopted various provisions of European Union law in order to participate in the Union's single market, without joining as a member state. Among Switzerland's neighbouring countries, all but one are EU member states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opt-outs in the European Union</span> EU regulations which are not imposed by member states by agreement

In general, the law of the European Union is valid in all of the twenty-seven European Union member states. However, occasionally member states negotiate certain opt-outs from legislation or treaties of the European Union, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas. Currently, three states have such opt-outs: Denmark, Ireland and Poland. The United Kingdom had four opt-outs before leaving the Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Maltese European Union membership referendum</span>

A referendum on European Union membership was held in Malta on 8 March 2003. The result was 54% in favour. The subsequent April 2003 general elections were won by the Nationalist Party, which was in favour of EU membership, the opposition Labour Party having opposed joining. Malta joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

Eight referendums were held in Switzerland during 2009. The first was held on 8 February on extending the freedom of movement for workers from Bulgaria and Romania. The next two were held on 17 May 2009 on introducing biometric passports and the "Future with complementary medicine" proposal. A further two were held on 27 September on increasing VAT and the introduction of public initiatives. The final three were held on 29 November on banning the construction of new minarets, exporting weapons and the use of aviation fuel taxation.

Slovakia does not recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions. The Constitution of Slovakia has limited marriage to opposite-sex couples since 2014. Bills to recognise same-sex civil partnerships have been introduced several times, most recently in 2023, but all have been rejected. However, there is some legal recognition for unregistered cohabiting same-sex couples; limited rights for a "close person" are recognised under civil and penal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Marino–European Union relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between the Republic of San Marino and the European Union (EU) began in February 1983. San Marino is completely surrounded by one EU member state, Italy.

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This article summarises referendum laws and practice in various countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Dutch Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement referendum</span> 2016 Dutch referendum on Ukraine–European Union Association agreement

An advisory referendum on the approval of the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement was held in the Netherlands on 6 April 2016. The referendum question was: "Are you for or against the Approval Act of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine?"

Several federal referendums were held in Switzerland in 2020, with voting on 9 February, 27 September and 29 November. Voting was also planned for 17 May, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal referendums were held in Switzerland on 7 March, 13 June, 26 September, and 28 November 2021. Swiss referendums take three forms: popular initiatives, which are citizen proposals to create a new law and require 100,000 valid signatures on a petition to get on the ballot; facultative or optional referendums, which are citizen proposals to approve or reject a piece of existing law and require 50,000 valid signatures on a petition to get on the ballot; and mandatory referendums, which are required to revise the constitution, join an international organisation or introduce emergency federal legislation for over a year.

References

  1. ↑ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, pp1945–1946 ISBN   9783832956097
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Swiss vote to join EU passport-free zone". USA Today . 5 June 2005. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  3. 1 2 Nohlen & Stöver, p1946
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vote takes Switzerland closer to EU". BBC Online . 5 June 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  5. ↑ "Swiss say 'no' to EU". BBC Online . 5 March 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  6. ↑ "Swiss voters likely to say 'yes' to closer EU ties". International Herald Tribune . 3 June 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Swiss vote to join Schengen area". swissinfo. 5 June 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  8. 1 2 "Swiss vote to ease border control". BBC Online . 5 June 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  9. ↑ "Swiss say yes to EU Schengen area". EurActiv.com. 6 June 2005. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  10. ↑ "Schengen/Dublin Accords Backed By Swiss". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 15 April 2005. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  11. ↑ "Switzerland Voters Approve Referendum". Fox News Channel. 5 June 2005. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  12. ↑ "EU hails results of Swiss referendum over Schengan Area". Xinhua News Agency. 6 June 2005. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Swiss Voters Set to Boost Gay Rights in Referendum". Bloomberg L.P. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  14. 1 2 "Swiss Vote to Expand Gay Couples' Rights; Short of Marriage". Bloomberg L.P. 5 June 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.