The Swiss are called to the polls today to approve the health crisis management legislation, which will implement the use of the health pass, after a particularly intense election campaign.
The referendum comes as the new coronavirus strain Omicron, which was first identified in South Africa and has been described as a “concern” by the World Health Organization, is once again putting the planet on alert.
Ένδειξη της ασυνήθιστης έντασης που επικρατεί στην Ελβετία ενόψει του δημοψηφίσματος η αστυνομία έχει αποκλείσει σήμερα την πλατεία που βρίσκεται μπροστά από την έδρα της ομοσπονδιακής κυβέρνησης και το κοινοβούλιο στη Βέρνη, καθώς αναμένεται ότι θα υπάρξουν διαδηλώσεις.
According to opinion polls, the Swiss are expected to pass legislation on covid-19, despite the fact that vaccinators and those opposed to the health bill have raised their voices in recent weeks, staging a number of demonstrations, some of which erupted and episodes.
The escalation of tensions in Switzerland, a country famous for its culture of dialogue and compromise, where referendums are held several times a year, has shocked the population.
Many politicians, including Health Minister Alain Bershe, who has been at the forefront of the fight against covid-19 in the country for the past two years, have received death threats and are now being held by police.
The referendum is taking place at a time when in Switzerland, as in other European countries, there has been a rapid rise in cases since mid-October due to the variant Delta strain.
But unlike other countries, the Swiss federal government is currently refusing to tighten restrictive measures, considering that a relatively small percentage of beds in intensive care units are occupied (20%).
“The situation is under control at the moment. “If the cases increase exponentially, we will have to adapt accordingly,” Berse said on Wednesday.
However, the government pressured the cantons to take action and urge citizens to respect basic health rules.
With a rate of fully immunized against covid-19 reaching around 65%, Switzerland has lower vaccination coverage than other Western European countries.
This is the second time in six months that the Swiss have been called to a referendum to pass covid-19 management legislation. In June, citizens had 60% support the then legislation.
But now the laws have been amended to give more power to the authorities to deal with the pandemic, but also to adopt the health bill, with the result that vaccinators and those who oppose the certificate can ask for a second referendum.
All political parties, with the exception of the populist center-right Democratic Union of the Center (UDC), the largest party in the federal parliament, support the bill.
“Suddenly we were divided between vaccinated and unvaccinated. “We must reject this separation,” said UDC President Marco Ciesa, who called for “the restoration of freedom, fundamental rights and the rule of law.”
The government replied that the health certificate facilitates travel and stay abroad, allows demonstrations to be held and “is available to everyone”, and that those who are not vaccinated can obtain it after taking a covid-19 test.
According to the latest gfs.bern poll, conducted on November 7, the bill for the management of covid-19 is approved by 61% of those who intend to vote in the referendum.
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