Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 21 The organising committee in celebration mode following the resounding victory of the “Marriage for all” campaign. Photo: Keystone The political movement Operation Libero wants single women and unmarried couples to benefit from reproductive medicine and be able to adopt children too. The law needs to adapt to modern realities, it says. “Marriage should no longer be considered the default.” Privileges at the expense of single people People who are single frequently lose out in Switzerland, says Sylvia Locher, co-chair of Pro Single Switzerland, who believes that society and policymakersmake continual concessions to couples and families. “We singles fund everything indirectly without benefiting ourselves.” Undoubtedly, single people are disadvantaged in a number of ways. They pay a higher tax rate compared to married couples. When they die, they are unable to pass on their pension fund assets. Up to 50 per cent of their remaining assets is taxed. “It is high time our situation improved,” says Locher. But she says that few people fight their corner in Berne, unfortunately. Andrea Caroni shares this view. Families getmost of the attention, says the FDP member of the Council of States. “They, themiddle classes and the SMEs are the holy cows of Swiss politics.” Policymakers regularly keep track of how families and couples are faring. But singles are a blind spot. Caroni wants this to change. He is also campaigning for the rights of cohabiting partners and suggests that Switzerland should have the same “civil solidarity pact” that France introduced to give legal status to both heterosexual and same-sex couples. “This would be an easy way for couples to enter into a contractual form of civil union without getting married.” Tax for married couples The so-called fiscal marriage penalty is another bone of contention. Under current law, married couples are taxed jointly. This puts dual earners at a disadvantage. Due to progressive taxation, lower-income couples often struggle to make endsmeet. Apopular initiative is nowcalling for couples to be taxed individually, regardless of marital status. How sexual minorities are treated is anothermatter. Transgender and non-binary people are demanding better protection from discrimination. Parliament has already decided that citizens should be able to change their official gender relatively easily in the future. It will soon address the issue of whether to introduce a third gender. The electorate emphatically rejected the Young Socialists’ “99 per cent initiative” on 26 September, with 65 per cent voting against an increase in capital income tax. All the cantons said no. The “Fifth Switzerland” also rejected the initiative, but only narrowly (51 per cent). The votes of 13 February 2022 Tobacco advertising: Health organisations have submitted the “Yes to protecting children and young people from tobacco advertising” initiative, which calls for a ban on all forms of tobacco advertising. Currently, tobacco advertising is only banned on the radio and television. Opponents fear that such a ban would limit economic freedom. Animal testing: A citizen’s group has submitted the “Yes to a ban on animal and human testing” initiative, which calls for a radical change in current pharmaceutical testing practices. This initiative goes too far for the Federal Council and parliament, which warn of the negative impact on drug supply. Taxation: Parliament has voted to abolish issuance stamp duty on equity capital, with the federal government set to lose revenue worth 250 million francs a year as a result. The SP, the Greens, and trade unions call this a “tax break” for companies and equity owners, and have called a referendum to oppose it. Media subsidies: The federal government intends to subsidise Switzerland’s ailing media sector with an additional 120 million francs over the next few years. A centre-right and right-wing committee has called a referendum to oppose these “damaging subsidies”, which it fears will result in a “state-funded media” that compromises independent journalism. National 64% Yes 36% No Abroad 72% Yes 28% No The “Fifth Switzerland” came out particularly strongly in favour of “Marriage for all” with a 72 percent majority.
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