Thirteen national referendums were held in Switzerland during 2016.
February referendums
On 28 February 2016, referendums were held on four initiatives:
Popular initiative of 5 November 2012 "For the couple and the family - No to the penalty of marriage", proposed by the Christian Democrats. It would have prohibited discrimination in taxes for married couples compared to other cohabiting couples, but it would also have added the definition of marriage being "the union of a man and a woman". Opposition to the initiative was mainly because it would make opening marriage to same-sex couples no longer possible under the constitution.
Popular initiative of 28 December 2012 ":de:Eidgenössische Volksinitiative «Zur Durchsetzung der Ausschaffung krimineller Ausländer »|For the effective expulsion of foreign criminals", proposed by the Swiss People's Party which claimed it would provide full implementation of an initiative approved in a November 2010 referendum. Foreigners who commit a crime would be automatically expelled from the country, regardless of the severity of the crime.
Modification of 26 September 2014 of the federal law on road transit in the Alpine region. It allowed building a second road tunnel in order for the current tunnel to be reconstructed. This government plan was challenged to a referendum by opposition groups who fear the four lanes would eventually be used, increasing traffic, and who considered it too costly.
The government recommended the rejection of all three popular initiatives, but recommended approval of the amendments to the federal law on road transit in the Alpine region. The vote results followed these recommendations, with higher voter turnout than usual.
Results
June referendums
Five propositions were on the ballot for the 5 June 2016 referendum:
A popular initiative for fair transport financing. According to this initiative, revenue from fuel tax would have been used exclusively for road construction.
A referendum on amendments to the federal asylum law.
All three popular initiatives were rejected, whilst the two legislative amendments were approved. The voters thus again followed the recommendations of the government.
Medically assisted reproduction
The law establishes that all embryos conceived in a test tube can be examined using all the genetic techniques available, and then selected. In this way, embryos with Down syndrome can be destroyed before implantation.
Asylum law
The new law provided free legal advice and representation for all asylum seekers, and speeding-up procedures for granting or refusing asylum. It also established new federal reception centers run by the federal government and staffed by federal officials where most asylum seekers would be accommodated.
The discussion about basic income in Switzerland began in the 1980s, initially amongst academics such as sociologists who saw the potential to alleviate poverty better than the current system. But there was no major public debate in the 1980s nor the 1990s. In the early 2000s, however, things were slowly changing due to a spill-over from the German debate. Two basic income organizations were formed, "Initiative Grundeinkommen" and BIEN-Switzerland, and one ATTAC-group also became advocates. These organizations had some success, including some articles in national newspapers. The petition calling for a referendum on basic income as a constitutional right was started in April 2012. After six months 42,000 people had signed, and by April 2013 there were approximately 70,000 signatures. By October 2013 more than 130,000 citizens had signed, meaning a referendum on the issue had to be held. Publicity included a truck filled with eight million coins emptying the money in front of the Federal Palace in Bern. Even though the initiative's official text submitted to the vote did not specify any level, the campaigners proposed 2,500 Swiss francs for adults and 625 francs for children per month.
Results
September referendums
Three referendums were held on 25 September 2016; a popular initiative for a green economy, a popular initiative concerning the retirement system and a referendum on the federal law on intelligence. Both of the popular initiatives were rejected, whilst the federal intelligence law was approved.
