Direkte Demokratie in der Schweiz – Landesbericht 2012 (Direct Democracy in Switzerland – Country Report 2012)

Abstract

English Abstract: This country report analyzes the surprising success of the Chalet-Initiative. The Initiative imposes a strict limit of 20% on secondary residences within each community, thereby in effect ending construction of vacation residences in the mountainous cantons of Switzerland. Accordingly, the dividing line of the vote runs between the city dwellers intent on environmental protection and the rural population relying on construction to ensure economic progress of their canton. The report also looks at the collection time for initiatives and finds strong differences between "quick" initiatives with broad public support that need as few as 157 days to reach the 100'000 limit and "slow" initiatives in need of most of the 549 days available (18 month limit). The average over the last 10 years is a collection time of 478 days, signaling particular support for all initiatives that need less than 200 days. Finally, the report looks at the problematic procedure for signature authentication by the communes. Prone to delay, that requirement has already resulted in the failure of referendums that should have succeeded in collecting the required 50'000 signatures.

German Abstract: Dieser Landesbericht schildert die Entwicklung der schweizerischen direkten Demokratie im Berichtszeitraum. Er enthält einen Überblick über die hängigen Verfahren auf Bundesebene. Ausserdem werden Schwerpunkte der Entwicklung in Bund, Kantonen und Gemeinden behandelt.

Note: Downloadable document is in German.

Keywords: Chalet-Initiative, Collection Time of Initiatives, Treaty-Initiative