Federal popular initiative "for a secure AHV - tax energy instead of work!"

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The federal popular initiative "for a secure AHV - taxing energy instead of work" called for the ecological and social restructuring of Switzerland's tax system. It was submitted by the Swiss Greens in 1996 and rejected by the people and the cantons in 2001.

Content of the initiative

With the reduction of taxes on work and the simultaneous introduction of an energy tax, three goals should be achieved at the same time:

  1. Lowering the environmental impact
  2. Fight unemployment
  3. Securing the social works

In this way, several steering effects should be achieved at the same time : The increase in the price of fossil energy should reduce its consumption and the lowering of the taxes that burden gainful employment should create an incentive to let more people work instead of machines.

The income from the energy tax would have been broadly reimbursed to the population, in particular to the old-age insurance (AHV) and unemployment insurance (ALV).

Text of the popular initiative

The Federal Constitution is amended as follows:

Art. 41quater (new)

The federal government levies a tax on non-renewable energy sources and on electricity from hydropower plants with an output of more than one megawatt to partially or fully finance social insurance.

II

The transitional provisions of the Federal Constitution are supplemented as follows:

Art. 24 (new)

1 If the retirement age is reduced, the energy tax revenue in accordance with Article 41quater is used to cover the additional costs incurred.

2 The revenue from energy tax is also used to reduce the contributions made by employees and employers for AHV, IV, EO and ALV as well as the contributions of the self-employed for AHV, IV and EO in a socially acceptable manner. People who are not gainfully employed and who do not achieve a statutory minimum income receive a tax refund in the amount of the average additional energy tax-related burden.

3 The energy tax will be introduced in regular, predictable steps. The law can provide temporary tax relief for cases of hardship.

Debate in Parliament

We weighed up economic arguments for and against the initiative, considerations on ecological tax restructuring, relief for non-wage labor costs and various aspects of sustainable development. The National Council decided with 120 to 65 votes to recommend the people and cantons initiative for rejection. Members of the Greens, Social Democrats and Evangelical and Independent parliamentary groups voted in favor of the eco-tax . The Council of States decided with 24 votes to four to recommend the initiative for rejection.

Advocates

GPS, SPS, EVP, CSP

opponent

FDP, CVP, SVP, LPS, PdA, SD, EDU, FPS, Lega

Voting battle

A few months before the vote on this popular initiative, a proposal with the same thrust was rejected with 55.5% no votes. As a result, the following vote was under the impression of being repeated.

literature

  • Handbook of the federal referendums 1848 to 2007 , Bern 2010. Page 608. ISBN 9783258075648

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Result of the vote at the Federal Chancellery
  2. ↑ swissinfo, October 30, 2001
  3. ^ Text on the website of the Federal Chancellery
  4. ↑ Information on the popular initiative on parlament.ch
  5. ↑ swissvotes.ch
  6. ↑ swissvotes.ch
  7. ↑ Referendum of September 24th, 2000 : Constitutional article on an energy steering tax for the environment (counter-draft to the withdrawn 'Energy-Environment Initiative')