GENEVA: Privacy versus security: it's a tension confronting democracies the world over, with Swiss voters facing their own test on Sunday.
Switzerland's security services currently have limited investigative powers compared to other developed countries: phone tapping and email surveillance are banned, regardless of the circumstances.
But a new law proposed by the government seeks to change that. Polls say it will pass with support from 53 to 58 percent of voters at Sunday's referendum.
Swiss Defence Minister Guy Parmelin insisted the wealthy Alpine nation was not aiming to set up a vast data-gathering apparatus, similar to the one developed by the US National Intelligence Agency that came into the public eye in part through whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations.
"With this law, we're leaving the basement and coming up to the ground floor by international standards," Parmelin told reporters earlier this year.
"We shouldn't compare (the Swiss proposal) to the United States or other major powers who have considerable means but go well beyond what is desired in terms of individual liberty... and security for our citizens."
- How it would work -
Phone or electronic surveillance of a suspect could only be triggered with approval by a federal court, the defence ministry and the cabinet, according to the law.
Bern has said these measures would be used only a dozen times a year, to monitor only the highest-priority suspects, especially those implicated in terrorism-related offences.
The law was approved by parliament in 2015, but an alliance of opponents, including from the Socialist and Green parties, got enough signatures to force a referendum.
Sunday's poll is part of Switzerland's direct democracy system, with votes on a wide range of national issues held four times a year, and votes at the regional and municipal levels held even more frequently.
- Broken trust? -
A Cold War-era scandal has overshadowed the vote.
In 1989, Swiss citizens learned that the security services had opened files on 900,000 individuals, detailing their political and trade union affiliations.
The revelations sparked outrage in a country where people fiercely guard their privacy, and led to significant curbs on police intelligence measures as well as demands for wider transparency.
Amnesty International said the new law is unnecessary and would allow "disproportionate" levels of surveillance.
"The (communications) meta-data for all people in Switzerland is already kept for six months (and) in the event of a crime, police ... can consult those details," the London-based rights group said.
"The main reason for the support is most likely insecurity, partly following attacks (in Paris and Brussels) and also the need to guard against the threats linked to cybercrime," said Pascal Sciarini, a political scientist at the University of Geneva.
- Retirement, resource use -
Also on Sunday's ballot is a popular initiative calling for a 10-percent rise in retirement benefits, which polls say voters will reject.
The government has come out against the measure, citing the cost.
Finally, polls have forecast a knife-edge vote on a measure calling for cuts in the use of natural resources which will be phased in over the next 35 years.
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