Legal Commission wants “marriage light”

The competent committee of the Council of States welcomes a new form of partnership in addition to marriage, regardless of the gender and composition of the couple. It followed a parliamentary initiative aimed at establishing the “Pacte civil de solidarité” (Pacs).

The Pacs is something between marriage and cohabitation. According to the initiative of the Council of States Andrea Caroni (42, FDP), the new status is intended to provide legal protection to those affected without offering them all the marriage guarantees and to subject them to all the obligations of such a marriage.

Because many remain unmarried

The Legal Committee of the Council of State (RK-S) supports the establishment of the new form of cooperation with 9 to 2 votes, the parliamentary services announced on Friday. The Commission notes that many couples remained unmarried for a long time, sometimes with children. A new status is therefore logical.

Postulates were the impetus for the Pacs. Geneva and Neuchâtel have already introduced a pacs at cantonal level, with which both the population and the authorities are in principle satisfied. The Federal Council also wrote in a report in the spring of 2022 that a Pacs could be a possible alternative to marriage and cohabitation.

Marriage and cohabitation should remain

Today, the Swiss legal system recognizes two forms of couple relationships: marriage and almost unregulated cohabitation. Both forms of couple relationships have their respective great value and should be preserved, Caroni emphasized when justifying his initiative.

Potential users of a pac are mainly young couples for whom marriage is still too early, but also older people who do not want to remarry. The responsible National Council Committee then decides on the parliamentary initiative. (SDA)