Zurich Voters to Decide on Kunsthaus Subsidies, Politician Salaries, Euthanasia, and High-Rises

Zurich residents are set to vote on September 27th on a range of significant cantonal and city proposals, including increased funding for the Kunsthaus art museum, adjustments to teacher compensation, and the framework for euthanasia in care facilities.

The cantonal ballot features the controversial Lehrpersonalgesetz, or Teacher Personnel Law. This proposal aims to grant teachers more paid working hours per class, specifically 160 hours annually for class teachers, an increase from a previous proposal. It also allocates more time for lesson preparation and follow-up. However, the law necessitates the creation of additional teaching positions, leading to an estimated annual cost of 83 million Swiss francs, with municipalities bearing 67.3 million of that sum. This financial burden has prompted 102 Zurich municipalities to initiate a referendum against the law.

The NZZ, in its recommendation, opposes the teacher law, deeming the package too expensive and arguing that it fails to address the core issue of excessive administrative tasks distracting from effective classroom teaching. In contrast, the newspaper supports a proposal to anchor a duty of care for euthanasia in the patient and health law for residents of retirement and nursing homes. This measure, a counter-proposal to a withdrawn popular initiative, would allow residents to end their lives in their rooms, even if the home's management objects. While most homes already comply, private institutions, often with religious affiliations, were previously exempt.

The NZZ argues that the right to self-determination for the dying outweighs the economic and religious freedoms of these institutions. The city of Zurich faces its own vote regarding the Kunsthaus. The museum is experiencing financial difficulties following the opening of its new Chipperfield-designed extension. Increased operational and maintenance costs, particularly underestimated personnel expenses during planning, have led the museum's management to request an additional 7.3 million Swiss francs in annual subsidies, bringing the total financial support to 25.8 million.