On September 22, Swiss citizens headed to the polls to vote on two federal referendums. Here’s a full breakdown of the results and their impact on biodiversity and pensions in Switzerland.

Latest round of Swiss referendums held on September 22

On Sunday, alongside a number of cantonal and local votes, Swiss voters had their say on two federal referendums. The first was a vote on reforms to second pillar occupational pensions schemes, also known as the BVG. Typically the main source of income for retirees in Switzerland, BVG payments are based on how much a person earned as a salary during their working lives, with the system paid into by both employers and employees.

In short, the reforms to the scheme would see younger and middle-aged workers pay more into the scheme while elderly employees would pay less, the income threshold after which workers must pay into the system would be reduced, and the share of people’s total pension pot that would be paid out every year would be lowered. 

For a more detailed overview of the occupational pension reform, check out our guide to the September referendums in Switzerland.

Securing pension finances a hot-button issue in Switzerland

In supporting the referendum, the Swiss government argued that BVG pension funds are “no longer adequately financed” thanks low interest rates, higher life expectancy and an increasing number of retired workers. They claimed that second pillar schemes would be brought back to financial health if the reforms passed.

While the change will mean lower pensions for some middle and higher earners, the reduction of the income threshold and the expansion of insurance coverage will see lower earners - the government highlighted women and part-time workers specifically - receive a more secure pension.

Opponents argued that amid rising living costs, asking workers to pay more to receive less was not the way to guarantee the longevity of the BVG.

Opponents of BVG declare victory for "the population"

In the end, the opposing view won out with 67,1 percent of Swiss voters rejecting the reform to occupational pensions. Despite the reforms originating from the Federal Council, not a single Swiss canton voted in favour of the plan, with Canton Zug being the closest with 43 percent of the vote. 

"The population is one of the winners today," noted Social Democratic Party co-president Cédric Wermuth. Swiss Trade Union Federation head Pierre-Yves Maillard told 20 Minuten that after 30 years of “deteriorating pension benefits”, by accepting the 13th month of first pillar pension in March and rejecting reforms to the BVG, the population has shown that it does not want to cut pensions further.

"The Federal Council must now adapt its strategy – the people want us to find sensible solutions to improve pensions," he concluded.

Why did the Swiss government's pension reforms fail so spectacularly?

On the flip side, Centre Party president Gerhard Pfister argued that even though the reforms had the full backing of the government, it was always going to be hard to find a majority for “such a complex proposal.” "It is of course a shame that the proposal did not convince... the need for action on the second pillar remains," added Green Liberal Party National Councillor Melanie Mettler. 

For Pfister, the government’s overestimation of pension spending, the power of the opposition's “pay more, get less” slogans, and the lack of unity among supporters for the reform were the main reasons for the poor result. Analysts writing in Swissinfo argued that the government’s reforms were too sudden to be accepted, they had failed to create a sense of urgency around pension finances, and that arguments from employers and economic think tanks had failed to resonate with the voting population.

Switzerland votes on Biodiversity initiative

Also on Sunday, Swiss citizens voted on the "For the future of our nature and landscape" or Biodiversity initiative, a popular referendum that was submitted back in 2020. If accepted, the plan would require the government and Swiss cantons to do everything in their power to preserve Swiss landscapes, towns, historical sites and natural and cultural heritage areas.

The plan would designate large sections of the country as protected areas, where authorities would only be able to infringe on protections if it was in the “overriding interests” of the country to do so. 

Those in favour of the plan argued that a third of wildlife in Switzerland is endangered or already extinct, half of habitats are threatened and intensive land use and urban sprawl will cost billions in future environmental protection spending. Those against it, including the government, argued that the plan was too extreme and would make Switzerland’s energy transition harder and its housing shortage worse. 

Biodiversity initiative rejected by all but Basel and Geneva

The Biodiversity initiative was also rejected on Sunday, though with a smaller margin of 63 percent. By contrast to the BVG, the proposal found majorities in two cantons, namely Basel-Stadt and Geneva.

Speaking to reporters, Environment Minister Albert Rösti (SVP) celebrated the outcome, arguing that the country will continue to balance biodiversity with other priorities including energy production, agriculture, housing and tourism. However, he assured that they “will continue to take this issue very seriously in the future," confirming that Switzerland will continue to spend 600 million francs a year on protecting biodiversity. 

The Swiss Farmers’ Association also celebrated the win, with president Markus Ritter claiming that the referendum was “simply not necessary.” "We farmers have done a lot for biodiversity over the last 25 years…Today, 19 percent of our land is designated for biodiversity - three times as much as required."

By contrast, SP National Councillor Hasan Candan said that today “is not a good day for nature and the people of Switzerland." He argued that supporters struggled to convince people that the initiative was necessary, adding that “whether [Rösti] really laid out all the facts is another matter.”

"We have a biodiversity crisis in our country - no one can ignore that," he concluded.

Full results of the Swiss federal referendums September 2024

Here are the official results of the Swiss federal referendums on September 22, 2024:

BVG Occupational Pension Reform results

• Total votes: 2.466.093
• Votes in favour: 810.777 (32,9 percent)
• Votes against: 1.655.316 (67,1 percent)
• Cantons in favour: 0
• Cantons against: 26

Biodiversity initiative results

• Total votes: 2.505.475
• Votes in favour: 926.159 (37 percent)
• Votes against: 1.579.316 (63 percent)
• Cantons in favour: 2
• Cantons against: 24

Complex pension reforms lead to drop in voter turnout

Compared to the votes in March (58 percent), turnout at the referendums in September was down to just 45 percent - a phenomenon blamed on the complexity of the pension reforms being voted on. The next set of federal votes is set to take place on November 24, 2024.