Lucerne considers letting 14-year-olds submit political proposals

The city of Lucerne wants to let residents aged 14 and older submit proposals to its parliament, a change that voters will decide on November 29, SRF reports. Applicants would need 200 signatures to file a so-called residents’ proposal.

The proposal would lower the minimum age for submitting one of these requests from 18 to 14. The instrument sits between a popular initiative and a motion by a politician. People with a Swiss C residence permit can also sign a residents’ proposal.

The change follows a 2021 motion by the Social Democratic Party (SP). Supporter Yannick Gauch, an SP member, said young people could raise issues adults might overlook. He said many 14-year-olds are in secondary school and thinking about their future careers, and may want a say in social developments.

The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) is the only city party opposing the proposal. Its president, Marko Hotz, said some teenagers are politically engaged at 14, while others are focused on themselves. The party’s parliamentary group will recommend a no vote to members at a meeting on November 11.

The proposal would not introduce voting rights at 16. Supporters and opponents both reject that interpretation, and the city’s voting age would remain 18. Voters in the canton rejected an initiative on voting age 16 in 2025, and the proposal’s backers say they want to respect that decision. The city parliament would retain the authority to decide on residents’ proposals.

Lucerne already has a children’s parliament and a youth parliament. Hotz said the SVP prefers to rely on those bodies, where participants can learn about the political process and the work involved in a proposal. Gauch said the residents’ proposal would offer a more accessible route for young people who do not have the time or interest to join such an organisation.

Monika Waldis, who leads the Centre for Civic Education and History Didactics at the University of Teacher Education at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, said research shows young people want to participate but lack opportunities. She said systematically including their perspectives could benefit policymaking and strengthen trust in politics.

If approved, the change to the city’s municipal code would take effect on March 1, 2027. It could give about 2,300 residents aged 14 to 18 a way to put forward their concerns. Whether the change would lead to more proposals is unclear; about 20 residents’ proposals were submitted in the past 10 years. Few Swiss municipalities have similar rules, including Zollikofen, where a comparable instrument is called a popular motion.