Justice minister calls for ‘crisis summit’ on disputed Moutier vote
Nearly a year after a vote that saw the town of Moutier move from Bern to Jura, Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has called for the governments of both cantons to address allegations of fraud at a meeting.
The “crisis summit” addressing the vote’s validity should take place before the end of May at the latest, Sommaruga said, according to a report in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. The justice minister added that an “analysis of the situation” is necessary.
Two weeks ago, the German-language paper reported possible “electoral tourism” that allegedly could have swayed the vote in June 2017, when Moutier decided to secede from Bern by a margin of 137 votes. A total of 4,000 citizens took part in the ballot – an unusually high turnout of 88%.
Perturbed by the suspicions of fraud, Moutier had requested the government’s help last Thursday, with Moutier mayor Marcel Winistoerfer denouncing suspicions of electoral tourism (people registering in a municipality without actually settling there).
More
More
Questions raised over historic local vote
This content was published on
Justice authorities are investigating electoral fraud allegations during a local vote in the Swiss town of Moutier three months ago.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Personal care products affect indoor air quality, warns Swiss study
This content was published on
A Swiss study claims that typical personal care products can have a ‘significant impact’ on air quality when used in enclosed spaces.
Government estimates for first time Switzerland’s carbon budget up to 2050
This content was published on
The Swiss government predicts that the country will produce around 660 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents for the 2020-2050 period if it meets its climate targets.
Switzerland imposes entry ban on far-right Austrian activist Martin Sellner
This content was published on
Switzerland has imposed an entry ban on the far-right Austrian extremist Martin Sellner. This prevents him from speaking at an event planned by the Swiss Junge Tat far-right group in canton Zurich.
Security firm Sicpa cuts jobs in western Switzerland
This content was published on
Sicpa, a company specialising in security inks, announced on Thursday that it plans to cut up to 120 jobs in canton Vaud, citing a complicated international economic context and geopolitical tensions.
UK resumes trade talks with Switzerland in ‘Global Britain’ push
This content was published on
British and Swiss trade negotiators will resume trade talks on Monday as they seek to broker deeper access to each other’s financial services markets as well as agreements on data sharing and worker visas.
Swiss army suspends CHF320m project for airspace surveillance
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament approved almost CHF320 million for "Skyview" airspace surveillance system. The reason for the suspension is problems with the integration of the system.
Murdered student: Paris asks Bern to extradite suspect
This content was published on
On Wednesday, France submitted an extradition request to the Swiss authorities for the man suspected of murdering Philippine. This was announced Thursday morning by the French Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud, on BFMTV.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Accusations of fraud frame final Jura votes
This content was published on
Two small Bernese municipalities are deciding whether to join the canton of Jura amid voter fraud accusations after the last such vote.
This content was published on
Jura says appeals are being handled too slowly after last year’s vote by the people of Moutier to leave canton Bern and join canton Jura.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.