Mandated Social Equality Act of 2021 - Matterhorn

Rationale

These reforms advance equity, accessibility, and well-being by mandating inclusion, expanding rights, reducing inequality, and improving work-life balance for all citizens.

Proposed Changes

	Law	Previous	Proposed
1	Women in the Armed Forces	Equal Participation — women serve alongside men on equal terms	This Is An Order — a mandatory quota for the proportion of women in the armed forces
2	Official Language Policy	Single official language for all official documents and courts	Multilingual rights guaranteed (core services available in multiple languages)
3	Public Transport Policy	Mixed transport with subsidized public transit	Public transport priority (car restrictions in city centres; free transit)
4	Social Care for the Elderly	Capped lifetime care costs	Free universal social care
5	Maximum Working Hours	48-hour weekly maximum	Mandatory four-day work week (28 hours maximum)

1

Women in the Armed Forces

Previous law

Equal Participation — women serve alongside men on equal terms

This Is An Order — a mandatory quota for the proportion of women in the armed forces

2

Official Language Policy

Previous law

Single official language for all official documents and courts

Multilingual rights guaranteed (core services available in multiple languages)

3

Public Transport Policy

Previous law

Mixed transport with subsidized public transit

Public transport priority (car restrictions in city centres; free transit)

4

Social Care for the Elderly

Previous law

Capped lifetime care costs

Free universal social care

5

Maximum Working Hours

Previous law

48-hour weekly maximum

Mandatory four-day work week (28 hours maximum)

Proposer

Party

Democratic Socialist Union

A party of builders workers and dreamers stitching together a future where no one is left behind and the planet thrives.

Core pillars

Ludwig Weber

Head of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications · Age 51

242,146 social followers

Once a media darling and outspoken critic of the status quo, this former television host leveraged his celebrity into a political movement, blending fiery rhetoric with a ruthless strategy to dismantle entrenched interests and force systemic change.

🔬 Analytical ⭐ Celebrity 🎤 Fantastic Speaker 🗡️ Ruthless 🔥 Firebrand

Timeline

Draft

8 July 2021
Vote Open

8 July 2021
Vote Closed

6 September 2021
Did Not Become Law

6 September 2021

Vote tally

Live tally across each chamber. Weighted by seats held.

Bundesrat

Failed

2Yes 5No 0Not voted 7 seats

For: 2 / 7 seats (28.6%)

Against: 5 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 0

50.1% of those voting must vote in favour (actual = 28.6%)

Party	Seats	Vote	Reason
Conservative Movement	3	No	We will vote decisively against this bill, which once again illustrates a vision thoroughly disconnected from economic realities and the public interest. Imposing quotas within the armed forces undermines the essential requirement for operational efficiency. Multiplying official languages weakens our civic cohesion. Penalizing motorists in favor of superficial free transit needlessly complicates daily life in our cities. Finally, institutionalizing dependency through universal care and a 28-hour work week simply shifts the financial burden onto those who work. This is a purely bureaucratic vision of society that overlooks the value of effort and the reality of small businesses, and we will logically reject it.
Democratic Socialist Union Proposer	2	Yes	No reason given
Reformist League Of Matterhorn	2	No	We are against articles 5, 3 and 1, especially article 1 where it basically "forces" women to participate in the armed forces. That is unacceptable! While we allow women to participate on equal terms with men, forcing them is going too far.

Ständerat

Passed

25Yes 21No 0Not voted 46 seats

For: 25 / 46 seats (54.3%)

Against: 21 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 0

50.1% of those voting must vote in favour (actual = 54.3%)

Party	Seats	Vote	Reason
Conservative Movement	13	No	We will vote decisively against this bill, which once again illustrates a vision thoroughly disconnected from economic realities and the public interest. Imposing quotas within the armed forces undermines the essential requirement for operational efficiency. Multiplying official languages weakens our civic cohesion. Penalizing motorists in favor of superficial free transit needlessly complicates daily life in our cities. Finally, institutionalizing dependency through universal care and a 28-hour work week simply shifts the financial burden onto those who work. This is a purely bureaucratic vision of society that overlooks the value of effort and the reality of small businesses, and we will logically reject it.
Democratic Socialist Union Proposer	25	Yes	No reason given
Reformist League Of Matterhorn	8	No	We are against articles 5, 3 and 1, especially article 1 where it basically "forces" women to participate in the armed forces. That is unacceptable! While we allow women to participate on equal terms with men, forcing them is going too far.

Nationalrat

Passed

108Yes 92No 0Not voted 200 seats

For: 108 / 200 seats (54.0%)

Against: 92 · Abstained: 0 · Not voted: 0

50.1% of those voting must vote in favour (actual = 54.0%)

Party	Seats	Vote	Reason
Conservative Movement	56	No	We will vote decisively against this bill, which once again illustrates a vision thoroughly disconnected from economic realities and the public interest. Imposing quotas within the armed forces undermines the essential requirement for operational efficiency. Multiplying official languages weakens our civic cohesion. Penalizing motorists in favor of superficial free transit needlessly complicates daily life in our cities. Finally, institutionalizing dependency through universal care and a 28-hour work week simply shifts the financial burden onto those who work. This is a purely bureaucratic vision of society that overlooks the value of effort and the reality of small businesses, and we will logically reject it.
Democratic Socialist Union Proposer	108	Yes	No reason given
Reformist League Of Matterhorn	36	No	We are against articles 5, 3 and 1, especially article 1 where it basically "forces" women to participate in the armed forces. That is unacceptable! While we allow women to participate on equal terms with men, forcing them is going too far.

Voting record

Every vote must state a public reason. Most recent first.

R

Reformist League Of Matterhorn

Voted July 16, 2021

No

“We are against articles 5, 3 and 1, especially article 1 where it basically "forces" women to participate in the armed forces. That is unacceptable! While we allow women to participate on equal terms with men, forcing them is going too far.”

Conservative Movement

Voted July 11, 2021

No

“We will vote decisively against this bill, which once again illustrates a vision thoroughly disconnected from economic realities and the public interest. Imposing quotas within the armed forces undermines the essential requirement for operational efficiency. Multiplying official languages weakens our civic cohesion. Penalizing motorists in favor of superficial free transit needlessly complicates daily life in our cities. Finally, institutionalizing dependency through universal care and a 28-hour work week simply shifts the financial burden onto those who work. This is a purely bureaucratic vision of society that overlooks the value of effort and the reality of small businesses, and we will logically reject it.”