Wind Power Lobby Wants to Abolish Public Referendums

The pro-wind lobby group “Pro Wind” responded with a devastating, anti-democratic demand: it is calling for the abolition of democratic citizens’ rights in the canton of Aargau.

This makes clear how important the municipal protection initiative is, which will be put to a vote in spring 2027: all affected municipalities should — as has been the case until now — be able to vote on planned wind farms.

The association Pro Lindenberg, a member of Freie Landschaft Schweiz, writes in its press release:

The citizens of Beinwil have sent a strong signal with their clear rejection of the planned wind farm on the Lindenberg: in favour of protecting our landscape and of municipal autonomy. Despite the fact that the initiators had virtually unlimited resources and a professional team of advisors at their disposal, they failed to put a positive spin on the project and conceal the expected damage, dangers and risks. The citizens carefully weighed the arguments for and against and consequently decided against it. We now expect a rethinking at the regional, cantonal and national level — and a fundamental reassessment of the role of wind power in Switzerland. Projects in unsuitable areas should be consistently abandoned.

Meanwhile, there were fierce reactions from the wind power lobby, which now calls itself “Pro Wind” and is generously financed and supported by Suisse Eole, the association of wind power promoters. “Pro Wind” described the popular vote as “questionable in terms of democratic values”, because the population had not made a “reasonable decision” and “the bigger picture" had lost sight of. In the neighboring canton of Lucerne, municipalities have already been stripped of their powers, and “Pro Wind” is now demanding the same in the canton of Aargau. According to “Pro Wind”, popular referendums in municipalities should be abolished.

Freie Landschaft Schweiz criticizes these anti-democratic demands by the wind power lobby. It seeks to silence the affected population, which — after careful consideration of the arguments — rejects wind turbines by a majority! This interference by the wind power lobby in the democratic debate is unacceptable. The financial interests of domestic and foreign companies selling their wind turbines in Switzerland must not be placed above the right of the population to self-determination.

In the cantons of St. Gallen, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Jura, Solothurn, Neuchâtel and Fribourg, the affected municipal populations already have no democratic right to have a say. In the canton of Zurich, the abolition of democratic popular rights has been proposed by the Director of Construction. Now the wind lobby is demanding the same in the canton of Aargau. In a third of the cantons, municipal autonomy has thus already been abolished or is being threatened by opponents of democracy.

Democracy is to be abolished because the defeated wind power lobby is dissatisfied with the recent, clear referendum results in the municipalities!

Falschinformationen des Bundesrats entlarvt

Freie Landschaft Schweiz and numerous supporters have therefore submitted the Municipal Protection Initiative to the Federal Chancellery. This is intended to preserve the tried-and-tested democratic right of municipalities to have a say. An energy transition that is socially and ecologically incompatible must not be forcibly imposed against the will of the population. The initiative will be put to a national vote in spring 2027.

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