In brief

The general public and businesses rely on modern and efficient transport infrastructure. This is why the federal government invests constantly in the rail and road network. Traffic on the national highways has more than doubled since 1990, bringing regular congestion at various points. To avoid it, lorries and cars often make use of roads that run through villages and residential areas. This reduces safety and quality of life for local communities. The federal government and cantons have a mandate to take measures against this, which includes eliminating bottlenecks in the national highway network by upgrading infrastructure at specific points.

With the 2023 expansion phase, the Federal Council and Parliament aim to eliminate bottlenecks on the following six sections:

• The A1 between Le Vengeron and Nyon

• The A1 between Bern-Wankdorf and Schönbühl

• The A1 between Schönbühl and Kirchberg

• The A2 near Basel (new Rhine tunnel)

• The A4 near Schaffhausen (2nd tube of the Fäsenstaub tunnel)

• The A1 near St Gallen (3rd tube of the Rosenberg Tunnel)

CHF 4.9 billion has been earmarked for these projects, which will be funded from the National Highways and Urban Transport Fund. The authorisation procedure remains unchanged: members of the public, communes or associations that are directly affected can comment on the individual projects and, if necessary, file an appeal in court. A referendum on the 2023 expansion programme has been requested, which is why we are voting on it.

In brief

Tenants are permitted to sublet their homes or individual rooms temporarily. This right also applies to business premises. However, sometimes the landlord does not give the required consent or the property is sublet at too high a price. Parliament wants to prevent such abuses and amend the provisions in the Code of Obligations.

In future, tenants who wish to sublet rooms must submit an application to the landlord in writing, and the landlord’s consent must also be obtained in writing. The landlord will have the right to refuse to allow subletting, particularly if it is to last for more than two years. Where tenants breach their obligations in connection with a sublet, the landlord may issue a written warning. If this meets with no response, the landlord may terminate the lease with 30 days' notice. A referendum on the bill has been requested, which is why it is being put to the vote.

In brief

The Swiss Code of Obligations permits owners of rented apartments and houses or business premises who wish to use them themselves to do so at short notice. Personal use is an issue in three cases in particular. Firstly, anyone who buys a property may terminate an existing lease at three months' notice in the case of houses and apartments and six months' notice in the case of commercial premises – even if the lease provides for a longer period of notice. Secondly, an owner cannot normally terminate a lease during the three years following a legal dispute with the tenant that did not end to the owner’s obvious advantage, but they can do so in order to make personal use of the property. Thirdly, tenants who are given notice may obtain an extension to the lease if they can show that it will be difficult for them to find alternative accommodation within the original notice period. The need of the owner or his or her relatives to use the property is a factor when deciding whether to grant an extension to the tenant.

Currently, a strict requirement must be met in order for personal use to apply: the owner must demonstrate an urgent personal need. Under the new provisions, it is sufficient if the personal need is significant and ongoing. It is simpler for the owner to prove this, which makes it easier for them to terminate the lease. Moreover, the new provisions allow for shorter lease extensions. A referendum on the bill has been requested, which is why it is being put to the vote

In brief

In Switzerland, the services covered by compulsory health insurance are not financed in a standardised manner. Health insurance pays for outpatient treatment (at the doctor's surgery, therapist's practice or in hospital if an overnight stay is not required). The canton covers at least 55 per cent of the costs of inpatient treatment (in hospital with overnight stay) and just under half of the costs of care at home or in a nursing home. The rest is covered by health insurance. This leads to false incentives: people are often treated unnecessarily as inpatients, even where outpatient treatment would make more medical sense and be less expensive overall.

Parliament has decided to amend the Health Insurance Act so that all compulsory health insurance services will be funded jointly by the health insurance companies and the cantons according to the same allocation formula. The cantons will now cover at least 26.9 per cent of the costs of all services, while the health insurance funds cover a maximum of 73.1 per cent. This standardised funding is intended to reduce disincentives, encourage the use of outpatient treatment and improve cooperation between doctors, therapists, carers and pharmacists. As the cantons and health insurance companies will finance all services jointly, they have a greater interest in promoting the most medically appropriate and cost-effective treatment in each case. This should also reduce the burden on premium payers. A referendum on this reform has been requested.

• More Information about this popular vote is on admin.ch (in German, French, Italian and Romanch).

• Information and advice on voting correctly, frequent mistakes and ways of correcting them is on the page: How to complete a ballot paper correctly