Some of the 18,000 Lohmann Classic laying hens at Gallipool Frasses can be seen in the stalling zone before the vote to ban factory farming at Les Montets, Switzerland, 16 September 2022.
Swiss citizens rejected a ban on factory farming. This was in response to a referendum on whether tighter animal welfare laws in wealthy countries should be strengthened.
The provisional vote by the government was 62.86%. This referendum was part of the Swiss system of direct democracy and was intended to preserve the dignity farm animals such as chickens or pigs.
VoteInfo collects voting results using data from the Federal Statistics Office.
“I’ve voted no,” said Geneva resident Fabrice Drouin.
There are farmers who intensively farm with their livestock. However, they do so in a way that respects animal welfare. We need to have some factory farming in order to feed the people. We won’t be eating meat anymore if we don’t do so.
The Swiss voted narrowly in favor of a plan to reform the old-age insurance. This would include raising the retirement age for women from 64 to 65.
The government would need to set stricter guidelines regarding the care of animals. They could be allowed to go outside or slaughtered. These rules would also apply to import animals and animal products.
The government rejected the recommendation and stated that such changes would be against trade agreements, increase operating costs and investment costs, and raise food price.
Florian Barbon, a Geneva resident, said that he believed in general that people regulate their self-regulation. I don’t think we need a law-based framework for this.
52.01% of voters opposed a third vote that would have allowed the removal of a bond interest withholding tax. This was done to stop tax evasion.
If investors declare the interest income in their tax returns, they could claim the tax. The government claimed that the levy should be eliminated to reduce administrative costs and increase Switzerland’s appeal to businesses.
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