Swiss referendum, June 2008

A referendum on three questions was held in Switzerland on 1 June 2008:
* people's initiative against publicly funded information campaigns by the government, also known as the "muzzle initiative";
* people's initiative for democratic naturalisation, which was trying to retain the right of deciding on the naturalisation of foreign citizens through a vote at municipal level;
* counterproposal to the withdrawn people's initiative on the "Krankenversicherungsgesetz".

All three questions were rejected in the referendum. The most controversial initiative was the proposal to allow local communities to hold popular votes on the naturalisation of foreigners with no right of appeal.cite web| url = http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/Citizenship_issue_comes_to_a_nationwide_vote.html?siteSect=105&sid=9150177&cKey=1212253157000&ty=st | title = Citizenship issue comes to a nationwide vote | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-05-31| publisher = "Swissinfo"]

Naturalisation

Background

Switzerland has one of the largest number of foreign residents in Europe with foreigners making up over 20% of residents. In order to gain citizenship people must have lived in Switzerland for 12 years and passed tests on the language and culture of Switzerland. In July 2003 the Swiss Supreme court blocked the holding of popular votes by local communities to decide on the naturalisation of immigrants who live in that community.cite web| url = http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C3DE2BFD-481D-483A-B481-E3872DEDC99E.htm | title = Swiss reject citizenship controls | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "Al Jazeera"] The Supreme Court acted after a vote in Emmen in which eight Italians were approved but 48 Eastern European and Turkish candidates were rejected. The court ruled that they had been discriminated against on religious and ethnic grounds and said that all applicants had the right to know the reason for rejection.cite web| url = http://www.pr-inside.com/bc-eu-gen-switzerland-citizenship-referendum-r618663.htm | title = Switzerland-Citizenship Referendum | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "PR-inside.com"]

The Swiss People's Party (SVP) brought an initiative forward to permit such popular votes to take place.

Campaign

During the campaign on naturalisation votes the SVP sent literature out detailing crimes committed by people who had been granted citizenship.They also produced billboards showing black, brown and white hands reaching for Swiss passports and saying "Stop the Mass Naturalizations".cite web| url = http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,557089,00.html | title = A Debacle for the Xenophobes | accessdate = 2008-06-02 | date = 2008-06-02| publisher = "Der Spiegel"] They argued the measure was needed due an eightfold increase in naturalisations between 1991 and 2006.cite web| url = http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aNsnRJRzJr80&refer=europe | title = Swiss Reject Popular Ballots on Granting of Passports | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "Bloomberg L.P."]

The government and the four other main political parties opposed the naturalisation referendum and preferred the existing system where elected bodies took the decision and where there is a right to appeal. In May 2008 a group of 72 professors of constitutional law produced newspaper adverts urging people to reject the measure.cite web| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/world/europe/01swiss.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5087&em&en=747da6c102179b01&ex=1212379200 | title = Swiss to Decide on Secret Votes by Public on Citizenship Candidates | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "The New York Times"] Opponents argued that the measure was unconstitutional and violated international law.

A poll on the referendum in April showed support for the measure but another in May showed only 33% supporting the measure, 56% against and 11% undecided.cite web| url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/31/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Citizenship-Debate.php | title = Swiss nationalist party campaigns against mass naturalizations, accused of racism | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-05-31| publisher = "International Herald Tribune"] cite web| url = http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aKFflUTalAfE&refer=europe | title = Swiss Vote to Allow Popular Ballots on Citizenship Applications | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "Bloomberg L.P."]

Results

In order for the initiative to pass a majority of Swiss cantons would have had to support it as well as a majority of voters. In the end only one of the 26 cantons, Schwyz, supported the initiative. Some cantons, such as Geneva and Vaud, had up to 82% of voters against the measure.

Internal disputes within the People's Party and the lack of a clear message in favour of the proposal were seen as reasons for the defeat of the measure. The government welcomed the results of the referendum saying that they showed people had confidence in the authorities.cite web| url = http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/internal_affairs/Citizenship_vote_outcome_stirs_mixed_emotions.html?siteSect=1511&sid=9161565&cKey=1212346556000&ty=st | title = Citizenship vote outcome stirs mixed emotions | accessdate = 2008-06-01 | date = 2008-06-01| publisher = "Swissinfo"]

References