The powers of the Swiss government to curtail public life due to the pandemic is on the agenda for a nationwide vote in June. A citizens’ group has brought a referendum against the so-called “Covid law”, approved by parliament and implemented last September. The campaign is driven by concerns over the current prominent role of the national executive in the country’s federalist and direct democratic system, as well as scepticism about the government’s vaccination policy. Switzerland is the first country worldwide to grant its citizens a say over the legal basis for handling the Covid crisis. The vote is scheduled for June 13, along with four other issues. What’s at stake? Last September, parliament approved a law covering a broad variety of measures aimed at combatting the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The legislation, which initially consisted of 14 separate articles, aimed to put on a firm legal basis some 18 decisions taken by government between mid-March 2020 to about...
