The Swiss public will vote on the biodiversity initiative. On Thursday the Senate rejected the government’s counterproposal for the second time, by 25 votes to 18. The counterproposal is therefore dead.

“This rejection is a slap in the face for biodiversity,” lamented parliamentarian Mathilde Crevoisier Crelier. Beat Rieder, speaking on behalf of the committee, pointed out that even a slimmed-down counterproposal went too far and would have major consequences for agriculture, tourism and energy production in particular. ...