Cantonal votes Nine substantive proposals will be decided in six cantons
In addition to the national referendum on the environmental responsibility initiative, votes will be held in six cantons on Sunday. Solothurn and Basel-Landschaft will decide on minimum wage initiatives, and the canton of Lucerne will vote on the voting age of 16.
09.02.2025, 04:31
SDA
Lucerne would be only the second canton to lower the voting age. Back in 2007, the canton of Glarus was the only canton to vote in favor of a voting age of 16. The constitutional initiative was launched by the "young and committed" alliance, which consists of the young parties of the SP, the Greens, the GLP and the Centre Party as well as various organizations and associations.
Two minimum wage initiatives
Two cantons are deciding on a minimum wage initiative. The Unia trade union initiative in the canton of Basel-Landschaft calls for a minimum wage of CHF 22 per hour for all employees working in the canton.
In the canton of Solothurn, the initiative launched by a committee made up of the SP, Young Socialists and the Federation of Trade Unions calls for a minimum wage of 23 francs per hour.
In German-speaking Switzerland, only the canton of Basel-Stadt has had a minimum wage since July 2022. It has been 22 francs per hour since the beginning of the year. In Latin Switzerland, there is a minimum wage in the cantons of Jura, Ticino, Neuchâtel and Geneva.
The canton of Solothurn has also passed a new energy law at the second attempt. This is a compromise after voters rejected a first version by a landslide in 2018. The law focuses on incentives and promotion rather than, for example, a ban on fossil fuel heating systems.
In the canton of Basel-Landschaft, it also involves the introduction of the double proportional representation system for elections to the cantonal council and other authorities, which are elected by proportional representation. This is intended to better reflect the party strengths in the cantonal council. The new electoral system will be used for the first time in the 2027 district council elections.
Bern decides on solar initiative
In the canton of Bern, the solar initiative submitted by the Green Party in 2021 demands that all new and existing buildings must be equipped with a solar system if the roof or façade surfaces are suitable and the installation is reasonable. For existing buildings, the initiative provides for a transitional period until 2040.
The cantonal parliament's counter-proposal only includes a solar obligation for roofs on new buildings, but not for façades. Furthermore, in the case of renovations, owners only have to report whether roof surfaces are suitable for the use of solar energy. The counter-proposal also includes a solar obligation for larger public parking spaces.
In the canton of Schaffhausen, the issue is road traffic tax. According to the amendment submitted to the people, owners of electric vehicles will have to pay significantly less in future.
In the canton of Fribourg, voters will decide on a loan of CHF 56 million for a new building for cultural assets. In the new Minergie building, goods from currently 29 locations will one day be centralized. Six million objects with a total value of over 420 million francs are to be stored on an area of 23,800 square meters.
