Switzerland approved marriage equality through plebiscite | With 64.1 percent of votes in favor

Equal marriage is a law in Switzerland and became the thirtieth country to establish this right. The initiative was made thanks to youn plebiscite which obtained 64.1% of the favorable votes and that it will allow same-sex couples to enjoy the same rights as the rest of the population. All the cantons of the country voted with their majority in the yes.

The referendum was promoted by the Swiss government after eight years of political and parliamentary debates. Despite the approval of almost all political spaces, the Democratic Union of the Center -which represents the radicalized right- with some religious groups they waged an aggressive “no” campaign which included the attack on LGBT + activists and the destruction of “Yes” posters.

The scope of the new law

Opponents have focused their campaign, marked by shocking posters, on the commodification of children and arguing that “same-sex marriage kills the father”.

The new law -which does not yet have an implementation date- will also allow same-sex couples to adopt and the access to assisted reproduction techniques, although only for women, and this surrogacy will not be allowed.

Switzerland decriminalized homosexuality in 1942, but various municipal and cantonal authorities kept homosexuals on file until the early 1990s.

Until now, in the European country “registered alliances” were used – a figure similar to the civil union – which was approved in 2007 and allows same-sex couples to choose a common surname, to access the spouse’s inheritance or widow’s pensions. It was not until 2018 that one of the spouses was able to adopt his partner’s children.

Switzerland thus leaves the small group of Western European countries that have yet to legalize same-sex marriage and in which they stayed Italy, Greece and LiechtensteinAlthough all three have different types of legal figures who recognize these unions.

Capital tax

On the other hand, according to polls by the gfs.bern institute, voters rejected a second proposal launched at the initiative of young people from the Socialist Party whose slogan was “Money doesn’t work, you do it!”.

The initiative required that capital income (interest, dividends, for example) be taxed 1.5 times more than labor income.

It provided for an exemption from this tax of an amount for example of 100,000 francs per year (about 108,000 dollars, 92,000 euros), but the additional tax revenues would be used to reduce the taxation of low and middle income or to finance benefits. social. such as childcare, family allowances, health insurance or training, highlights the site of the supporters of this proposal.