SUISSE news Winter 2022
International Affairs
January 2022

Swiss Vote in February 2022: Two Initiatives and Two Referendums



On 13 February 2022, Swiss voters will go to the polls over four federal proposals: two popular initiatives – “Yes to a ban on human and animal experiments” and “Yes to protecting children and young people from tobacco advertising” – plus referendums opposing the law on stamp duty and on the media law.

The “Yes to a ban on human and animal experiments” initiative
The first proposal, the “Yes to a ban on human and animal experiments” initiative, calls for a ban on experiments involving animals and on imports of products tested on animals. Human testing would also be banned under the proposal. Furthermore, the initiative demands the same level of government support for research that does not involve animal experiments as for research that involves such experiments.

“Yes to protecting children and young people from tobacco advertising” initiative
The initiative aims to ban tobacco advertising wherever it would be visible to children or young people. For example, this would cover the press, posters, the internet, cinemas, kiosks and events. The same rules would apply to e-cigarettes. Advertising would only be allowed where it can be seen exclusively by adults and in places that are closed to minors.

Amendment of the Federal Act Stamp Duties
The Federal Council and parliament want to abolish the issuance stamp duty, the third proposal coming to a vote on 13 February 2022. That means companies would no longer be liable for tax when they raise new equity. According to the Federal Council and parliament, this would lower investment costs, thus supporting growth and creating jobs. Abolishing stamp duty would cost the federal government an estimated 250 million francs a year. The referendum opposes this legislative change.

Federal Act on a Package of Measures to benefit the Media
The media (especially local and regional) is under financial pressure as advertising income flows increasingly to the major global internet platforms. The number of different newspapers in circulation has been falling for years. The Federal Council and parliament now want to strengthen local and regional media. The federal government already subsidises the delivery of subscription newspapers. This support would be expanded to cover titles with a large circulation that are delivered early in the morning. Online media would also benefit, as would local radio stations and regional television channels. The referendum is in opposition to this law.

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