‘Marriage for all’ opponents hand in signatures for referendum
Opponents, and supporters, of the “marriage for all” project in Bern on Monday.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Swiss voters look set to have the last word on a historic same-sex marriage law after opponents on Monday handed in signatures demanding a national referendum.
Around 59,000 verified signatures were handed in by a committee in Bern, two days after the collection deadline ran out to challenge the “marriage for all” law approved in parliament last December.
Under the Swiss system of direct democracy, a law passed by parliament can be brought to national referendum if 50,000 signatures are collected within a window of 100 days.
The committee – made up mainly of members of the small, highly conservative Federal Democratic Union and the large rightwing People’s Party – argue that same-sex marriage warrants not merely a new law but a constitutional change.
They also say allowing lesbian couples access to sperm donation procedures is “legally and morally questionable”, and that the well-being of children needs to be considered.
More
More
Parliament takes historic step for same-sex marriage
This content was published on
Swiss parliament has ironed out the last differences on a bill initiated seven years ago, paving the way for same-sex couples to marry.
The “marriage for all” project was accepted by a large majority in parliament last December, after years of debate and modifications – the original idea was put forward as a parliamentary initiative by the Liberal Greens in 2013.
As well as allowing for same-sex marriage, the law will allow lesbian couples have a child through sperm donation, while facilitated citizenship procedures – currently unavailable for same-sex partnerships – and adoption rights will also be widened.
Switzerland is one of the few European countries where same-sex marriages have until now not been allowed. Same-sex couples have been able to enter a “registered partnership” but this does not entail the same rights and obligations as full marriage, especially when it comes to citizenship and joint adoption of children.
On Monday, the deposition of signatures at the Federal Chancellery in Bern – complete with campaign props including a dressed up (female) bride and (male) groom – was also attended by a group of LGBT activists who brought their own banners and arguments.
This latter demonstration was broken up by police, who also took the names of 49 people for flouting Covid-19 regulations about gathering in public, according to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
More
More
‘Marriage for all’ brings hope for rainbow families
This content was published on
Rainbow families hope “marriage for all” will make their lives easier, thanks to changes in the law.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
This content was published on
Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
This content was published on
Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
This content was published on
Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
This content was published on
More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
This content was published on
More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
This content was published on
If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
This content was published on
The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
This content was published on
Geneva, which is facing several days of very hot weather, has raised its level of vigilance with regard to the risk of forest fires and is issuing an appeal for caution.
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.