2024-03-04 02:49:24
The Swiss voted for the right to receive a 13th pension, France Press reported.
This came during a referendum organized today in the country, whose population is aging and where the cost of living is rising.
At the same time, the Swiss rejected a proposal to increase the retirement age by one year, BTA reported.
The proposal to pay 13 pensions gathered the support of 58.2% of the votes. And the proposal to increase the retirement age from 65 to 66 was rejected with 74.72% of the votes.
The referendum was initiated by the left-wing parties, and the centrist and right-wing parties opposed the idea.
The government said it would cost 4 billion francs a year to pay 13 pensions, which would mean an increase in taxes and pose a risk to the country’s financial stability.
The monthly pension paid by the Swiss social and pension system is capped at 2,450 Swiss francs (2,570 euros) for a single person and 3,675 francs for a married couple.
In the cities, rents for three-room apartments are at least 3,000 francs (3,150 euros) a month, and a coffee costs more than 5 francs, according to AFP.