Agricultural initiatives of 13 June were unequivocally rejected.
Did Swiss voters reject the drinking water and pesticide initiatives because the weaknesses of the initiatives were too obvious? Or did they reject the initiatives out of fear of price increases?
As expected, the voters clearly rejected the pesticide initiative and the drinking water initiative. Although the two initiatives addressed issues that meet with sympathy among the population at large, in the end the weaknesses of the proposals were in the foreground. In particular, the fear of rising prices played a role.
The campaign for the two initiatives was conducted in an emotional and committed manner and mobilised an above-average number of people, especially in rural areas. The electorate in the countryside and far into the conurbations showed solidarity with the farmers. Even in regions with an industrial economic structure, the initiatives were not convincing. The solidarity thus went far beyond agricultural areas.
With this double “No”, the Swiss electorate has declared its support for today’s agricultural policy. It is also a “No” of the rural population against the urban environmental zeitgeist.