Mirjam Hostetmann

Spear’s Review

In June 2024, aged just 24, Mirjam Hostetmann was elected president of Switzerland’s socialist youth party Juso and vice-president of the country’s Social Democratic Party. She has become the face of the movement to institute a federal inheritance tax, which would see a 50 per cent levy on estates and gifts above CHF50 million. Under the proposal, funds would be funnelled toward climate action and reshaping the economy.

The country will hold a popular ballot on 30 November. Even if the policy fails to pass into law (as most expect), it has gained enough traction to dent the country’s reputation as an impenetrable fortress for private wealth. 

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