Swiss voters back e-ID and abolish rental tax
5 hours ago
- #tax reform
- #Swiss politics
- #e-ID
- Swiss voters approved the introduction of an electronic proof of identity (e-ID) with 50.4% in favor.
- The abolition of the rental tax for homeowners was approved by 57.7% of voters, with a clearer outcome than polls predicted.
- Voter turnout was higher than expected at 50%.
- The e-ID bill faced opposition due to privacy concerns, leading to a referendum with over 50,000 signatures collected against it.
- Political scientist Lukas Golder noted growing mistrust of state solutions post-Covid, especially in conservative regions.
- Supporters of the e-ID emphasized the need for better government explanations on digital technology challenges.
- Opponents of the e-ID highlighted missing guarantees in the law and a discrepancy between parliamentary and public opinion.
- The rental tax reform abolishes the imputed rental-value tax, with cantons compensated by an optional tax on second homes.
- A linguistic divide was observed in the vote, with stronger support in German-speaking rural areas.
- The average voter turnout in Switzerland over the past decade has ranged between 41% and 57%.