Swiss say yes to 13th pension payment
58.2 percent of the voters in a referendum on Sunday said yes to introducing a 13th monthly pension payment for all pensioners. The measure will see old-age and survivors' insurance (OASI) pensions increase by 8.3 percent. The OASI is the first pillar of old-age provision in Switzerland, a kind of basic pension for all, currently totalling a maximum of CHF 2,450 or just under 2,550 euros. A similar initiative failed just a few years ago.
A historic turning point
Corriere del Ticino rejoices:
“The vote in favour of the 13th OASI pension payment can be regarded as a historic event for at least three reasons. Firstly, because, after a long series of unsuccessful attempts the trade unions and the left have succeeded for the first time in pushing through a pension increase by referendum and thus winning over a section of the middle-class electorate. ... Secondly, because until now the arguments of financial sustainability and practicability had always prevailed over the statist and socialist proposals. ... This time the majority of voters did not accept the traditional calls for responsibility and moderation on the part of politics and business. ... And thirdly, because this vote could also mark a turning point for other social issues.”
Approved due to lack of alternatives
La Tribune de Genève explains the reasons for the clear success in the referendum:
“The initiative benefited from a favourable context and the mistakes of its opponents. What was the context? Price increases everywhere, from health insurance to food and from rents to energy costs. Many pensioners can no longer afford to live in dignity. What are the mistakes? Firstly, there was no counter-proposal. The initiative favours all pensioners, including billionaires, at the expense of working people. Yes, this is a major flaw, but why didn't the right propose a more targeted and better-drafted version? Out of arrogance and certainty of victory. A crucial mistake.”
Clear vote against right-wing populism
The taz is delighted:
“In a country in which even the most moderate left-wing concerns have been decried as anti-economic socialism and any political debate about them has been ended with the argument that they would jeopardise prosperity, this clear vote is a hopeful sign. Especially for leftists. ... So when it comes to popular initiatives, the left is managing to win back workers it had lost to the far right in past elections. This is not only a good sign for issues of distribution in the future, but also a clear statement against the populism of the right, which is trying to turn the weakest against each other.”