April 29, 2021
The Federal Parliament Building in Bern, Switzerland
The law recognizing civil unions between people of the same sex, adopted by the Swiss Parliament at the end of 2020, will ultimately have to go through a referendum: a petition exceeding the 50,000 signatures required has in fact been submitted to the authorities to this effect.
On April 12, 2021, 59,176 certified signatures were deposited at the headquarters of the Federal Chancellery, calling for the organization of a referendum on civil union between persons of the same sex.
According to Swiss law, a law passed by parliament can be contested by the people. This requires at least 50,000 signatures within 100 days of publication of the law. If successful, the law is put to the vote of the citizens of the Confederation.