Zug,20.01.2017
Campaigning for referenda to be held on how they should be implemented
Three separate bodies in central Switzerland, amongst others areas, are currently collecting signatures to gather support for referenda to take place with regard to how they are to be implemented, in this case with particular reference to the initiative to prevent mass immigration into the country, rather than accept a recent proposal from Bern.
The original referendum, held on 9th February 2014, led to 50.3% of the Swiss population agreeing to restrictions on mass immigration in a turnout of 56.65%. Some time was needed to decide on how to implement such restrictions and towards the end of last year, one proposal emanating from Bern suggested employers should give priority to Swiss nationals when appointing staff, though naturally businesses such as the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech companies rely very much on attracting highly specialised staff from beyond Switzerland’s borders to ensure they have the edge over others. One particular problem for Bern is that it needs to find a way of restricting immigration which does not contravene the Bilateral Agreements Switzerland has with the EU.
As to the separate bodies referred to in the opening sentence, one is led by independent Zug parliamentarian Will Vollenweider. While a number of people have expressed an interest in his campaign, he has only managed to collect 200 signatures, of which 50,000 are needed by 7 April if a referendum is to be held at all.
The leader of another organisation with the same aim of holding a referendum is Sandra Bieri, a 29-year-old student of communication science in Lucerne, where she also works in the university library, and who is also from Zug. She is shown in the photograph with colleague Martin Alder asking people outside Zug Station if they would like to add their signatures to the campaign. The pair had noticed that, in recent years, while the people of Switzerland have been asked through its system of direct democracy what policies should be introduced, for example in ones relating to restrictions on the construction of more second homes, or alpine protection, when implemented, they felt they did not meet with the public’s approval, much as in the case now with regard to this issue of immigration. While Bieri is the chairwoman of this organisation, it is her 52-year-old colleague and project-developer Alder from Brunnen in the neighbouring canton of Schwyz who is regarded as the organisation’s spokesman. While Alder and Bieri have set their sights on a referendum on the issue, unlike Vollenweider, they are not concerned about the outcome as such, the holding of the referendum being the overriding issue for them. Nevertheless, with both organisations sharing this initial aim, and bearing in mind how close they are geographically to each other, they are cooperating to a certain extent. Despite the efforts of Bieri and Alder, if members of the public only continue to sign up at the current rate, they, too, will not reach the number required by April. “Let us hope more people put their names down. After all, this is all about their rights,” insisted Alder.
The third organisation calling for a referendum on this matter is led by SP party-member Nenad Stojanovic, a political scientist and senior research fellow of the University of Lucerne, who has also been appointed to a Committee against Racism by the Federal Council.