The 99 per cent and Marriage for All initiatives are about the centre ground of society.

26.09.2021 | Marco Bürgi, GFS Bern

64 percent of Swiss voters are clearly in favour of marriage for all. The 99 per cent initiative, on the other hand, could only convince just over a third of voters. Today it was about the centre ground of society, which voted with the majority of parliament and the Federal Council – on the one hand the modern social mainstream in favour of marriage for all and on the other the business-friendly and pragmatic middle class against the 99 per cent initiative.

After the Federal Council and Parliament received a rejection from the electorate in June with the CO2 law, the Swiss clearly followed the slogans of the authorities in both of today’s proposals. According to SRG SSR projections, majorities of around two-thirds voted in favour of marriage for all and against the 99 percent initiative.

The Yes to marriage for all was not at risk in any of the trend studies in the weeks leading up to the vote. The criticism that arose in the course of the referendum campaign, especially around sperm donation for lesbian couples, was ultimately unable to convince majorities, apart from the free-church conservative circles and parts of the SVP. The Yes to marriage for all is a logical consequence of the global megatrend towards diversity and individual ways of life.

In the run-up to the vote on the 99 per cent initiative, voting intentions developed similarly to previous initiatives from the left camp. At the beginning of the opinion-forming process, the proposal still managed to convince a relative majority, but the Yes camp steadily shrank the closer the voting day came. For the initiative to really gain momentum, it would have needed hard-hitting justice arguments. The argument around SMEs and the middle class itself, which could be harmed by the proposal, was heard more.

 

Result Mariage for All

Result 99 per cent initiative


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Marco Bürgi

Marco Bürgi

Project Manager