PostedMay 20, 2022, 10:09 p.m.
The Parliament is preparing a revision of the law which will make the choice of surname even more liberal than it was before the abandonment of the possibility of having a double name.
Switzerland provides for a more liberal right to choose a name after marriage.
20min/Christian Bonzon
Maiden name, single name, family name, double name: soon, the law should become much more liberal for people who marry in Switzerland. Since 2013, no one can opt for a “double name” after marriage: either you keep your single name, or you take the name of your husband or wife. The Legal Affairs Committee of the National Council voted by 23 votes for, 0 against and 2 abstentions for a parliamentary initiative which asks to authorize the double name again.
“Take the chance”
And the elected officials have opted for an even greater openness to the choices of each couple. She says she wants to “seize the opportunity to introduce a broader solution, which would better meet the different needs” and proposes a model “which would allow both spouses in the future to have a double name, optionally with or without a dash. union and regardless of whether they form a common family name or retain their single name.
In his initiative, National Councilor Luzi Stamm (UDC/AG) took the example of a fictitious heterosexual couple with typical names formed between Mr. Peter Muster and Mrs. Petra Weber. If they got married today, there would only be three possibilities: both keep their names, both are called Muster or both are called Weber.
But not for children
With the new solution, the two could be called Muster-Weber, or Weber-Muster if they decide on a common surname; or Monsieur could be called Peter Muster Weber while Madame would become Petra Weber Muster, or only Madame Weber, and Monsieur only Muster; or both could be called only Muster or only Weber. In short: a wide range of possibilities would open up.
But the elected officials do not want to leave everything to the free choice of the bride and groom. For example, once their decision has been made during the wedding, we will not go back on it later. Similarly, “there are no plans to introduce the possibility of having a double name for children”, explains the commission. A consultation procedure will be launched “in the coming weeks”, she adds. The entry into force of the new law is therefore not for now.
(ywe)