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Swiss free trade deal with Indonesia narrowly survives referendum Published on Share
Voters in Switzerland have given the green light to a free trade deal with Indonesia with a small majority of 51.6%.
The vote was closer than expected after Zurich (the canton with the most voters) showed its hand last, sealing the fate of the referendum. The main pockets of resistance were the French-speaking cantons such as Geneva (where a lot of commodity firms are based) and Vaud (home of the headquarters of Swiss food giant Nestlé).
Palm oil was at the heart of the referendum on the free trade agreement between Switzerland and Indonesia. The deal aims to facilitate trade with the South-East Asian country and will now remove customs duties on Swiss exports like cheese, pharmaceutical products, and watches.
Digital identity scheme faces scepticism around data privacy - Expat Guide to Switzerland expatica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from expatica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Swiss âburka banâ accepted by slim majority
No longer possible: a veiled woman pictured in Geneva. Keystone / Martial Trezzini
Supporters of a peopleâs initiative to ban face coverings in public have carried the vote with a majority of 51.2%.
This content was published on March 7, 2021 - 19:20
March 7, 2021 - 19:20
Domhnall O Sullivan
Originally from Ireland, Domhnall worked in research and writing in a couple of European countries before joining swissinfo.ch in 2017. He covers direct democracy and politics and is usually in Bern.
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A decade after another national vote that banned the building of minarets, Switzerland will introduce a clause in its constitution to outlaw face coverings, including the Islamic burka and niqab, in public spaces.