The Citizen’s Income Trust (BIEN’s affiliate in the United Kingdom) has released the third issue of the 2013 volume of the Citizen’s Income Newsletter. It contains editorials, news, and nine book reviews.
Citizen’s Income Trust Citizen’s Income News Letter 2013, issue 3.
[Aynur Bashirova]
European citizens’ initiative petition on basic income was launched earlier this year. Basic income initiative believes in distributing minimum income to all the citizens without conditionality and regardless of the employment. The petition can be signed online by any EU citizen based on universal suffrage. If the initiative manages to collect 1 million signatures from at least seven EU countries, the initiative will be looked upon by the European Parliament.
For more information go to: European Commission. (14 January 2013). Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) – Exploring a pathway towards emancipatory welfare conditions in the EU. European Citizens’ Initiative.
On October 2, 2013, the French-speaking Swiss radio network RTS devoted a one-hour programme to basic income. The broadcast included an interview with Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain University), as well as with philosopher Serge Margel (Lausanne University), Julien Dubouchet Corthay (BIEN-Switzerland), and economist Marco Salvi (Avenir suisse).
The programme (in French) can be heard online on the website of RTS.
On October 25, 2013, basic income made the front page of the Flemish left-of-centre daily De Morgen. The article referred to a new book authored by Peter De Keyzer, a chief economist at the bank BNP Paribas Fortis in Brussels. In his book, entitled “Growth makes happy”, De Keyzer advocates the implementation of a substantial basic income of EUR1,000 per month in Belgium, and the suppression of several existing benefits (such as pensions and social assistance). The article also includes an interview with Evelyn Forget (University of Manitoba) about the Canadian BI experiments in the 1970s, as well as with Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain University). According to Van Parijs, “In Europe, the idea of a basic income has never been so lively than these days”. The President of the Flemish Green Party, Wouter Van Besien, criticizes the proposal made by De Keyzer, as it would- he argues – lead to more inequality and more poverty. The editorial of De Morgen, by Bart Eeckhout, is also entirely devoted to basic income. It is entitled “Basic income is worth a discussion”.
The editorial by Bart Eeckhout can be read online (although its title is different from the printed version). The article itself is not available online.
Daniel Häni at the event
Dorothee Schulte-Basta: Daniel, today a lot of people believe that the popular initiative for Basic Income here in Switzerland could also give an impulse to others. Is it in your opinion an impulse for Europe, or is it a global impulse?
Daniel Häni: Switzerland has a special position. It is really easier to promote the idea of Basic Income here than elsewhere because, on the one hand, we have a direct democracy and, on the other hand, we have no financial poverty. We can talk more freely about Basic Income since basic income is really an idea, a cultural impulse. This is evident from the debates in our neighboring country, Germany, where it is a debate about social policy. But in Switzerland the chances are greater because here the issue is discussed on a cultural level. As for the impulse, we think that it concerns not only Switzerland. We are doing this not only for Switzerland.
Dorothee: Are you doing it for Europe? For the world?
Daniel: I would not think so. You start with Europe, and then you quickly start thinking about America. America has strong links with Switzerland. This can be seen from the history of democracy.
Daniel Häni shovelling
Dorothee: Both countries have a common history of democracy, but the social situation in these countries is very different. For example, most people in the United States are not doing nearly as well financially as the people in Switzerland. And the social safety nets are quite different.
Daniel: Yes, but the United States is the biggest economy in the world. And America is built completely on the principles of freedom. The individual counts a lot. You can do there almost everything you want. The situation is similar in Switzerland. Switzerland was also built from the bottom up. However, it was unified into a direct democracy. In America, they went another way. But for the United States, basic income is an essential impulse, too. The most important thing one has to understand about basic income is that the idea behind it is the intent to free the economic potential of people. Or, to put it in other words, we need to change people’s understanding of the term “labour”. This is also a prerequisite to the future meritocratic society: the individual will associate themselves completely with what they do. America needs that. I can see that the door is open in America – through its history and mentality. And people in America want to do something. What people have to understand is that they need a base, an income so that one can work.
Picknick on money
Dorothee: What impulses can come to Switzerland from other countries? For example, can the pilot projects on basic income that have been launched in other countries, such as India, Brazil or Namibia, give an impulse to Switzerland? Or are there any other basic income-related activities that could give an impulse to Switzerland?
Daniel: I think all basic income pilots are interesting. They are a kind of impulse, too. Everything that happens somewhere could provide an impulse. But I would like to clarify this. It is not Switzerland that provides an impulse for Europe or America. It is not Switzerland, but rather it is the people– and they are everywhere in the world.
The most important thing is that we in Switzerland (maybe otherwise I would have been born somewhere else) are able to produce such a popular initiative. During a vote, the result is not so important. What matters is what happens on the way towards the vote, what kind of consciousness is created, and how people’s attitudes and thoughts change are also important. Here, in Switzerland, this is part of our culture. It is common practice here to make decisions together. We do not have boring discussions about pro and contra, or government and opposition.
Mountain of money
Dorothee: What are your wishes regarding basic income?
Daniel: I wish that all basic income advocates would know all the arguments against basic income, and would be able to cite them. I also wish that all basic income opponents would know all the arguments for basic income, delve deeper into the issue, and would be able to cite them. This is my wish. It’s the maximum we can achieve.
Dorothee: Thanks, Daniel.
