Reforms proposed for Swiss referendum system

A recent report by Avenir Suisse, a Swiss think tank for economic and social issues, has recommended that key reforms be implemented to improve the country's referendum system.
Considered a central pillar of Swiss direct democracy, referendums allow the population to voice popular opposition, and enable changes to be made to the Swiss constitution.
A total of 198 referendums have transpired since the system's creation in 1891. Only 12 were passed in the first 110 years.
Since 2002, however, 10 referendums have already been approved out of the 53 which have taken place.
According to Avenir Suisse, this upward trend is not all positive as very few voted referendums have fully delivered on their original content.
In light of this, the think tank has proposed a series of reforms to allow the system to be "better structured and made more objective."
In an interview conducted by Tribune de Geneve on Tuesday, think tank report co-author Tibere Adler stated that "certain trends are problematic."
According to Adler, "referendums have become an outlet for electoral interests", mirroring the report's belief that plebiscites can be used as political instruments by governing parties, or marketing gambits for specific minority interests.
To address these issues, Avenir Suisse explores the possibility of implementing a five-point plan of action.
This includes shifting referendum admission duties from the parliament to the Federal Chancellery, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
A higher signature hurdle is also recommended, increasing the currently required 100,000 signatures to 210,000, which represents 4 percent of the electorate.
The report also introduces the notion of follow-up votes, to ensure that final changes to the constitution following an approved initiative are in tune with initial voted proposals.
The think tank furthermore preconizes the right to change federal law without having to use a popular vote to change the constitution, if the proposed initiative is in tune with the latter.
Finally, the report advocates a one initiative per voting day approach, which would make for more serious political debate, according to the think tank.