• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Financebasic income

This Swiss City Will Weigh Giving Its Citizens Free Money

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 19, 2016, 11:44 AM ET
Old Town. Lausanne. Switzerland
Old Town, Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by Marka/UIG via Getty Images)Marka—UIG via Getty Images

Basic income is the economic fad du jour.

A number of governments, including Finland, Ontario in Canada, and the Netherlands, are toying with the idea of giving their citizens free money to cover basic needs. Now the latest on the list of interested locales is Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lausanne’s city council on Tuesday narrowly passed a motion calling for it to run a basic income trial program, reports the French daily newspaper Le Nouvelliste. The motion, which is not legally binding, asks the city’s executive council to implement the scheme as an experiment. (The motion received 39 votes in favor, 37 against, and 8 abstentions.)

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Although the proposal doesn’t contain many details, it does clarify some points. The program would run in collaboration with the University of Lausanne, similar to the Dutch plan’s partnership with the University of Utrecht, reports the Basic Income Earth Network, a network of academics and activists who are interested in the idea of a basic income. And the trial would be limited—only a subset of Lausanne’s population of 130,000 would participate.

The concept of a universal basic income has drawn praise and condemnation from both sides of the political aisle, from left-wingers and right-wingers alike. Advocates of a basic income maintain that such a program would ease economic inequality and eliminate welfare state inefficiencies, while critics argue that such a program would create disincentives to work.

For more on income proposals, watch:

On June 5, Swiss citizens will vote on whether the country should provide about $2,500 Swiss francs per month to adults and about $625 Swiss francs per month to children. The Swiss parliament is overwhelmingly opposed to the basic income initiative, but could be circumvented in the referendum.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Maya MacGuineas, center, Committee for Responsible Federal Budget.
Economydebt crisis
‘There is no silver lining in this trajectory’: Budget watchdog warns of financial, inflation, or currency crisis due to $39 trillion U.S. debt
By Eleanor PringleMarch 27, 2026
6 minutes ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
VC firms rarely reinvent themselves. Kleiner Perkins did—and has a new $3.5 billion to show for it
By Allie GarfinkleMarch 27, 2026
10 minutes ago
Abstract business graph of AI growth. market growth, analysis, and future projections.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Why CFOs—not chief AI officers—are the secret to getting real value from AI
By Sheryl EstradaMarch 27, 2026
12 minutes ago
Big TechMarkets
Anthropic accidentally leaked details of a new AI model that poses unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Jim EdwardsMarch 27, 2026
23 minutes ago
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
Today’s top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on March 27, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMarch 27, 2026
2 hours ago
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, March 27, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
By Glen Luke FlanaganMarch 27, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

C-Suite
'I didn’t want anybody shooting me': Five Guys CEO gave away $1.5 million bonus to employees over botched BOGO burger birthday celebration
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
2 days ago
Environment
Vail Resorts CEO says it’s time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that helped build the empire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
1 day ago
Success
Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
3 days ago
Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
4 days ago
Economy
Social Security insolvency: How a six-figure cap to flatten benefits for the ultrawealthy could buy the program 7 critical years
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 25, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.