After the AHV vote, the following pension battle follows: 56 percent against reform of the pension fund

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Now it is clear: on June 9, the two health insurance initiatives, the ending of the mandatory vaccination initiative and the new electricity law, will come before the people. The vote on the reform of the occupational pension scheme (BVG) is once again at a low ebb. And this despite the fact that the referendum against it had already been submitted last summer with more than 140,000 signatures. This means that the bill will not reach the population until September or November.

It is almost as if the Federal Council is afraid to go to the polls. Not without reason, according to new research by the Sotomo research institute on behalf of the trade union federation. The electorate’s skepticism towards the reform of the pension fund is great.

No party starts with a lead

In a first round, the research institute wanted to know what voters think about the proposal. The result: 49 percent definitively or rather reject the BVG reform, while 37 percent agree with it. The rest is still undecided.

In a second step, the survey participants were presented with arguments for and against the proposal. Then they were asked again about their attitude. The picture became clearer: 56 percent now want to vote no, 33 percent want to vote in favor. One in nine remains uncertain.

Biggest resistance from SP and SVP

When it comes to parties, resistance is greatest among SP and SVP supporters: two-thirds each reject the reform, and more than a quarter say yes. Half of Greens say no, a third agree. The two camps are more or less in balance among the Center Party and the FDP. The BVG reform is currently only clearly supported by the Green Liberals with 54 percent yes to 40 percent no.

For the Sotomo authors it is clear that this vote does not follow a classic left-right pattern. “The proposal is rejected by both the urban SP and the rural SVP voters,” it says. This also reflects skepticism that extends far into the bourgeois camp: the reform is facing massive criticism in agricultural, hospitality and business circles due to the additional costs.

Retirees say yes more often

What is particularly striking is the difference in assessment according to age group: resistance is greatest among 50 to 65 year olds – those who are about to retire. As many as 65 percent reject the BVG reform, only 26 percent are in favor. However, the proposal finds the greatest support, with 45 percent in favor, among those over 65 who are no longer covered by the legal revision. Many reject them.

The segment of 40 to 49 year olds, i.e. people who are not currently receiving compensation measures, is also exciting. While 52 percent say no, 37 percent say yes. “For them, retirement is probably still too far away to feel particularly affected by their age,” the Sotomo authors write.

SP-Maillard: “Pensions have been declining for fifteen years”

For union boss Pierre-Yves Maillard (55), the negative attitude among the population does not come as a surprise. “Pension funds have been declining for fifteen years – the BVG proposal entails a further reduction. That is completely wrong!”, says the Vaudois SP Council of States.

“The pension funds are doing well, but they claim they don’t have the money to simply compensate for inflation.” No wonder then that he immediately refers to the AHV vote of March 3: “Only a 13th AHV pension compensates for the higher pension prices.” Maillard knows that a successful performance in the upcoming AHV election will provide a lot of tailwind for the next pension battle in the fall.

GLP-Mettler believes in catching up

Even though the BVG reform is currently encountering resistance, its proponents are far from giving up. “With the referendum, the counterarguments came into the public eye, so the current lead of the no camp is not surprising,” says Melanie Mettler (46, BE), national councilor of the GLP.

In the voting campaign, the pro-arguments must be made more widely known to the people. “We have reached a compromise that strengthens solidarity between generations and, especially for women and part-time workers, significantly improves their pension provision.”

This message has already reached his own base, Mettler is happy with the approval of the majority in the GLP. She comes across as combative: “Nothing has been decided yet, we are trying to catch up in the voting campaign.”

The representative Sotomo survey was collected online between October 5 and 17, 2023. Information from 1,431 respondents was evaluated and weighted according to statistical procedures.

Source:Blick