Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greece finance minister, encourages the Swiss people to vote ‘yes’ for universal basic income (UBI) at the national referendum scheduled on 5th June.

In the video interview with the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, the Greek economist argues that the future picture of technological progress could be either the Star Trek version, in which the progress can make us equal and free, or the Matrix version in which the progress enslaves us.

In another interview, with the Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger (the translation of which is available here), he says:

Because Switzerland is doing so well, it is ideal for experiments with the basic income. But don’t forget, in spite of the wealth, the quality of life is decreasing. What good is a well-paid job if you are scared to lose it? This constant fear paralyzes people and makes them ill. Switzerland should see the basic income as an investment in the future.

Varoufakis, first spke out in favour of basic income in an interview published for The Economist.

Varoufakis will be one of speakers at the UBI event on 4th May in Zurich, Switzerland.