Italy and Switzerland launch new political referendum initiatives

In Italy, the signature collection process has begun for two abrogative referendums concerning hunting regulations. The first proposal seeks to partially repeal Article 842 of the Civil Code, which currently allows licensed hunters to access private land under specific legal conditions. If approved, landowners could potentially restrict access without the current requirements. The second proposal targets Article 19-ter of the Criminal Code to remove references to hunting and specific clauses regarding animal-related laws. Citizens can submit signatures via the Ministry of Justice platform until September 30, 2026. If both initiatives reach 500,000 valid signatures, they will undergo judicial and constitutional reviews.

In Switzerland, the Federal Chancellery has confirmed the success of the popular initiative ‘Yes to protection against abusive rents.’ With 108,437 valid signatures, the proposal will now move to the Federal Council and Parliament. The initiative addresses the issue of excessive rent increases; according to BASS Institute calculations commissioned by the Swiss Tenants Association, tenants paid an average of 360 francs per month in excess of justified costs in 2023, totaling 10.6 billion francs nationwide. The proposal aims to shift the burden of proof, defining a rent as abusive if it exceeds the actual costs of the property plus an adequate return, rather than requiring individual tenants to identify and contest abuses themselves.