According to the first projections, the Swiss rejected Sunday by 61% by a vote the ban on synthetic pesticides.

On the other hand, they would have given their support to a law on police measures to combat terrorism decried by the UN.

The final results will not be known until early evening.

The Swiss refuse to ban synthetic pesticides by a large majority, but agree to strengthen the fight against terrorism, measures however decried in particular by the UN, according to the first projections after the vote.

These first trends, given by the gfs.bern polling institute for public television shortly after the polling stations closed, confirm the polls carried out in recent weeks.

The final results will not be known until early evening.

No major country has so far banned synthetic pesticides.

Elsewhere in the world, Bhutan announced a few years ago that it wanted to become the first country in the world to make a living from "100% organic" agriculture.

A ten-year period before the ban was proposed

In Switzerland, voters refused on Sunday to engage their country - which is home to one of the largest manufacturers of plant protection products, the Basel group Syngenta, acquired in 2017 by the Chinese giant ChemChina - on this path. They were due to vote on two popular anti-pesticide initiatives on Sunday. A first text, which called for the ban of synthetic pesticides within ten years, as well as any import of food produced abroad using these products or containing them, was rejected by 61%. , according to the first projections.

Another initiative - also rejected by 61% - provided for the payment of subsidies from the Confederation to farmers to be paid only to farms that do not use pesticides, ban the preventive or regular use of antibiotics and are able to feed their animals with the fodder they produce themselves.

Environmentalists and the left had supported the two initiatives, but voters preferred to follow the government, for whom the ban on synthetic pesticides would undermine the country's food sovereignty.

More means to act preventively against "potential terrorists"

According to projections, a majority of voters (57%), on the other hand, supported the law on police measures against terrorism on Sunday, despite warnings from many actors, including the UN and Amnesty International. . This law gives the police the means to act more easily as a preventive measure in the face of a "potential terrorist". The police will be better able to monitor them, limit their movements and force them to participate in interviews. All this from the age of 12. From the age of 15, people can also be placed under house arrest for nine months, with the approval of a court.