Swiss Senate rejects ban on commercial signature collection for referendums
The Swiss Senate has rejected a ban on paid signature-gathering for initiatives and referendums.
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening:
Swiss Senate rejects ban on commercial signature collection for referendums
Lawmakers also voted against a proposal to force disclosure requirements for bodies that commission commercial signature-gathering firms.
With no counter-motion tabled, the Senate voted against a ban on Monday. A motion tabled by Social Democrat Baptiste Hurni has been shelved.
+ How Swiss direct democracy works
Senators also rejected a proposal for mandatory disclosure of the funds spent by committees on collecting signatures.
The background to both motions lies in revelations from September 2024 about potentially illegal practices by paid signature collectors, particularly in French-speaking Switzerland.
In the meantime, the Federal Chancellery has filed several criminal complaints in this regard and taken a series of measures.
More
Digital democracy: will Swiss signature scandal pave way for e-collecting?
+ How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
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.