Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

September 12 – Switzerland’s second national holiday?

Swiss flags
Getting ready for Swiss National Day, August 1. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Switzerland could soon have another national holiday, to celebrate its democracy. The House of Representatives has accepted a motion in favour of celebrating September 12 – against the advice of the government.

Parliamentarian Heinz Siegenthaler said he had introduced the motion for the new holiday, which was approved on Thursday by 94 votes to 82, because he wanted to commemorate the achievements of the state born on September 12, 1848, such as direct democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers and federalism. That date was the adoption of the first federal constitution.

“The inauguration of the first federal constitution is a unique and, in the history of our country, unprecedented event,” he said, adding that it was therefore important that this day be celebrated on a regular basis and on an official occasion.

The government, however, was opposed to the inclusion of September 12 as an additional national holiday. Justice Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider noted that Switzerland has only one national holiday, August 1, which she said is well established and appreciated by the population.

More

August 1, Swiss National Day, became a national holiday as the result of a people’s initiative in 1993.

Baume-Schneider pointed out that this year Switzerland was celebrating the 175th anniversary of the federal constitution and that numerous events were planned. On July 1-2, many government buildings in Bern would be open to the public, and this is possible without an additional public holiday, she said.

The Senate still has to confirm the decision of the House of Representatives.

More

Most Read
Swiss Abroad

Most Discussed

News

Swiss army seeks to buy German howitzers

More

Swiss army plans to buy German howitzers

This content was published on The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.

Read more: Swiss army plans to buy German howitzers
US opinion polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump virtually even ahead of the November 5 election.

More

Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland

This content was published on Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.

Read more: Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
Property prices continue to rise

More

Swiss property prices continue to rise

This content was published on Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.

Read more: Swiss property prices continue to rise

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR