Reactions to the highway no vote "This is a slap in the face" - "Historic victory for the climate"

The Swiss electorate appears to be against the expansion of six sections of the highway. While the opponents are jubilant, the Yes camp is surprised by the result.

On Sunday, the Swiss electorate voted on the federal decree "Expansion step 2023 for the freeways" (expansion of freeways). According to projections, the bill is likely to be rejected.

"Today heralds a turnaround in transportation in Switzerland. The population has rejected the Federal Council's backward-looking transport policy," said Lisa Mazzone, President of the Greens, in a press release, adding that today is a "historic victory for the environment and the climate".

SP Co-President Mattea Meyer also expressed her delight at the result in an interview with SRF: "There is no need to expand freeways at a cost of five billion Swiss francs." There are more sensible ways to invest the money.

GLP National Councillor Beat Flach, on the other hand, is still cautiously optimistic: "I'm still waiting to rejoice, but it looks good: Mobility of the future needs more intelligence instead of tar and concrete," he writes on X.

Disillusionment among the Yes camp

The feeling among supporters is completely different. "This is a slap in the face for those people who produce added value in Switzerland," says SVP National Councillor Benjamin Giezendanner to SRF. The decision would mean more hours of traffic jams.

The likely "no" vote comes as a surprise to Fabio Regazzi, a member of the Ticino Council of States. A few years ago, such a vote would have been won easily. It is possible that there has been a "certain change" in society.

The many hours of traffic congestion are a problem for the economy, said Ticino's center-right Councillor of States Regazzi in an interview with Swiss Radio SRF on Sunday: "I have trouble understanding why this was not understood."