Excerpt

The initiative, backed by the Social Democrats, Greens, Centre Party, Green Liberals and trade unions, would entitle every child from the age of three months until the end of primary school to supplementary childcare. Parents’ contributions would be capped at 10% of income, with the federal government footing two-thirds of the additional bill. The Federal Council opposed the plan, as did the upper house, which debated it for the first time this week.

Instead, senators preferred an indirect counterproposal, now returning to the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament. Conservatives deemed the federal role envisaged in the initiative excessive, arguing that cantonal schemes already go far enough. The left maintained that the counterproposal does not go far enough to meet families’ needs.

...