Switzerland: Referendums, 12 February 2017: Company taxes, Swiss passports and road funding / Swiss ease citizenship rules for young immigrants

Switzerland held three referendums on the 12 February 2017.
About 5.2 million Swiss citizens were eligible to take part.

Votes on a broad range of issues, as well as elections, also took place in many cantons and municipalities across the country.

The three main issues in the nationwide referendums were:

+ to allow easier naturalisation of third generation immigrants
+ to create a fund for national roads and urban infrastructure
+ to overhaul the corporate tax code to attract and retain international firms

In the most prominent topic Swiss voters endorsed a proposal to simplify the citizenship procedure for immigrants whose grandparents came to Switzerland.

However, voters rejected a comprehensive overhaul of taxation for companies, which was seen as a blow to the Swiss business and political establishment.

• Primary Source

Wikipedia: Swiss referendums, 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_referendums,_2017

ESO: Background information: Blocher mulls new initiative to reduce immigration http://www.europeansources.info/record/blocher-mulls-new-initiative-to-reduce-immigration/

Deutsche Welle, 12.02.17: Switzerland backs 'simplified naturalization' for third-generation migrants http://dw.com/p/2XQtp

The Guardian, 12.02.17: Switzerland votes to ease citizenship process https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/12/switzerland-votes-immigrants-citizenship-rights-islamophobia

EurActiv, 13.02.17: Swiss voters soundly reject corporate tax overhaul http://www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/news/swiss-voters-soundly-reject-corporate-tax-overhaul/

Politico, 12.02.16: Swiss voters reject proposals to overhaul the country’s corporate tax system http://www.politico.eu/article/swiss-voters-reject-proposals-to-overhaul-the-countrys-corporate-tax-system/

Politico, 12.02.16: Switzerland votes to make citizenship easier for third-generation immigrants http://www.politico.eu/article/switzerland-votes-to-make-citizenship-easier-for-third-generation-immigrants/

EurActiv, 14.02.17: Will Switzerland end up on Brussels’ tax havens blacklist? http://www.euractiv.com/section/euro-finance/news/will-switzerland-end-up-on-brussels-tax-havens-blacklist/

---