MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2020) Swiss voters will head to the polls on Sunday to have their say on several key issues, including whether to scrap their country's free movement of people arrangement with the European Union, establish paid paternity leave for fathers, and support the government's proposal to purchase new fighter jets for the country's armed forces.
The proposal to scrap the free movement agreement has been put forward by the Swiss People's Party, and follows in the wake of a similar vote in 2014 that asked citizens if they wished to establish quotas on the number of immigrants from EU countries.
At that time, 50.33 percent of voters gave their approval, and the Swiss government agreed a deal with the EU that Swiss companies had to prioritize workers resident in Switzerland.
Voters will also have their say on the establishment of paid paternity leave for fathers. At the present time, new fathers are entitled to just one day off upon the birth of their child.
On the armed forces, Swiss voters will decide if they will support the government's proposed $6.5 billion deal to modernize the country's fighter jet fleet. If the measure is accepted, the Swiss government will reportedly decide which aircraft to purchase, with jets from both European and US-based manufacturers in the running.
