by Toru Yamamori | Dec 25, 2015 | Opinion
Basic income activist Enno Schmidt give us his views on the recent recommendation by the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament, calling for people to vote against an unconditional basic income (UBI) in the national referendum next year.
The National Council, the lower house, issued a similar recommendation in September. The referendum is expected to be held next year – there are indications that it might take place as early as June. Swiss people will vote “yes” or “no” to a constitutional amendment that would introduce, if successful, the UBI as a right enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution.
Enno Schmidt is one of the promoters of the Popular Initiative that collected enough signatures to gain the right for a national referendum on the UBI. He is a painter, author and film-maker, and has been actively promoting basic income since 2006. He was born in Germany and lives and works in Basel, Switzerland.
In this interview, he tells Basic Income News what he thinks about the recent recommendations by the Swiss parliament, and the prospects for the referendum.
Toru Yamamori: Did you foresee the Council of States’ recommendation?
Enno Schmidt: We did not expect a majority in favour of the basic income initiative in either the upper or lower house of parliament. Still, it was good to see that there were positive contributions emerging from the two debates. There are MPs in both houses who understand some of the ideas behind the initiative. However, there was nobody voting in favour in the Council of States.
TY: How do the parliamentary recommendations affect the national referendum?
ES: The parliamentary motions are only recommendations. They are not binding decisions. Parliament fulfilled its obligations and debated the issue. The decision is entirely up to the Swiss citizens. The citizens are the highest decision-making body in a democracy. The parties, the Parliament and the government are organs of the sovereign. The ultimate sovereign is the voting population.
UBI activists dropped 8 million five cent coins outside Swiss National Council, Bern, October 2013.
TY: What is your next step?
ES: There are 8 Millions inhabitants and 5 million voters in Switzerland. We will do our best to promote debate on the idea of a basic income and talk to everyone about it.
TY: As you and others already did with the collection of the signatures for the referendum, with your films about basic income, and in public debates, tv shows, newspapers and collective actions.
What is your take on the final result of the referendum?
ES: It is not our victory if a majority says yes, nor our defeat if a majority says no. It is our business to give a chance to everybody to think about the possibility of an unconditional income, the difference between income and work, their future and the future of our society, and to encounter a positive vision for the 21st century.
We are not focused on the opponents. We want to make the idea attractive. The UBI vision is not against something, but asks for more. We want to show that a more exciting life is possible. We want to convince the majority. But even if only a quarter of the votes will be in favour of a UBI, then that would already be a great success. The referendum result is not the end. The discussion continues, and there can be another vote. Perhaps the Japanese are faster than the Swiss?
For more information, check out the English-speaking website of BIEN-Switzerland here, and our past news and commentary on the Swiss referendum:
Toru Yamamori, “SWITZERLAND: Council of States rejects basic income initiative,” Basic Income News, December 21, 2015.
Matthias Lindemer, “Swiss politicians reject basic income because they are scared of humans,” Basic Income News, December 7, 2015.
Stanislas Jourdan, “SWITZERLAND: Parliament rejects basic income initiative, but poll shows popular support,” Basic Income News, October 3, 2015.
Toru Yamamori, “Interview with Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss Citizens’ Initiative,” Basic Income News, September 19, 2015.
Jenna van Draanen, “SWITZERLAND: Swiss parliamentary committee on social affairs opposes a federal initiative for basic income,” Basic Income News, July 14, 2015.
Karl Widerquist, “SWITZERLAND: National referendum will be held on basic income,” Basic Income News, October 5, 2013.
by Toru Yamamori | Dec 21, 2015 | News
On December 17, the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament, unanimously approved a motion calling for people to vote against a universal basic income (UBI) in the national referendum to be held next year.
On October 2013, the Popular Initiative for a UBI collected 126,000 signatures. This was enough to gain the right to hold a national referendum. Before the referendum is held, the two houses of parliament can issue recommendations for people to vote in favor or against. On September 23 this year, the National Council, the lower house of parliament, had also recommended to vote against UBI. While the date has not been set yet, the national referendum is expected to take place next year. There are indications that this might be in June 2016.
Although nobody voted in favour of the UBI, some of the interventions by MPs and government Ministers were not dismissive of the idea. Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss popular initiative, heard the debate in the Council of States, and noted down some of the more positive statements for Basic Income News.
Alain Berset, a politician from the leftist Social Democratic Party (SP) and a member of the Swiss Federal Council (the Swiss federal government), stated that:
The idea of a UBI is noble and it would be important to think ahead. But there are too many open questions and uncertainties about its introduction. The current social security system relies on the logic of insurance. A UBI is based on the logic of existence.
Anita Fetz, a member of the Council of States from the SP ranks, said:
A basic income would be a sign of appreciation to all those who make their contribution to society, but are not counted in the Gross Domestic Product. Half of all work carried out by people is not financially rewarded and therefore less visible, but is crucial for the functioning of our society. We cannot rely solely on women for these activities. That era is over. Today we are living with a market model that offers a rational and selfish image of humanity. A vision that privileges more freedom and independence would help us give more importance to trust, compassion and cooperation, rather than confrontation and competition. Today only a few can imagine a UBI, but tomorrow technology will make a lot more jobs redundant. After that, we will have to think about the feasibility of a basic income. The greatest ideas in history were always put forward by a small group of people, and met with fierce opposition for many years, until they suddenly found the support of the majority.
Another member of the Council of States from the SP, Liliane Maury Pasquier, said:
The idea to grant a personal income to all citizens unconditionally and for life is simple and fair. It is a project that is socially liberal and focused on the talents of each person. It is neither left nor right, it is about core societal values. Ideals move the world. But unfortunately, we, the politicians, are driven by populism and fears. We do not allow room for utopias.
Both Fetz and Pasquier abstained in the vote.
Basic Income News is grateful to Enno Schmidt for the additional reporting. An interview with him on the Council of States’ motion will be published in our website shortly.
Here is a list of our past news and commentary on the Swiss referendum:
Matthias Lindemer, “Swiss politicians reject basic income because they are scared of humans,” Basic Income News, December 7, 2015.
Stanislas Jourdan, “SWITZERLAND: Parliament rejects basic income initiative, but poll shows popular support,” Basic Income News, October 3, 2015.
Toru Yamamori, “Interview with Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss Citizens’ Initiative,” Basic Income News, September 19, 2015.
Jenna van Draanen, “SWITZERLAND: Swiss parliamentary committee on social affairs opposes a federal initiative for basic income,” Basic Income News, July 14, 2015.
Karl Widerquist, “SWITZERLAND: National referendum will be held on basic income,” Basic Income News, October 5, 2013.
by Matthias Lindemer | Dec 7, 2015 | Opinion
By Che Wagner
Originally published in German in the Swiss online newspaper Tages Woche.
Translated by Matthias Lindemer for Basic Income News.
(Photo shows activists of the Swiss Basic Income Initiative with a banner inside a vault. Credit: Stefan Bohrer)
On Wednesday, September 23, 2015, the Swiss parliament debated a popular petition for an unconditional basic income. Enough signatures were collected to grant a national referendum. The parliamentarians seemed to compete to voice the most incendiary expressions. “The most dangerous initiative ever!” said Sebastian Frehner of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). “A released grenade in our hands!” said Daniel Stolz of the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP).
The reactions to the initiative were stamped with fear. If you want to avoid danger, it is better for you not to move. Bernhard Guhl, speaking on behalf of the centrist Conservative Democratic Party (BDP), exhorted “Don’t endanger our prosperity!” The parties right of center, like the SVP, sounded even more dramatic. Peter Keller (SVP) declared, “You don’t even care who will be paying for that,” and Sebastian Frehner (SVP) argued that the Basic Income would swallow all of the country’s money and spell “the end of Switzerland.”
“The most dangerous initiative ever!” (Sebastian Frehner, SVP)
Where does the fear come from? Some of it stems from the worry that a basic income will make all of its recipients lazy. Keller, for example, called the proposal “a slap in the face of all the people getting up at 6 for work in the morning.” Others worried that the financial burden would render a basic income entirely impossible.
Behind these fears, however, lurked a quiet consensus: the question of whether a basic income is financeable is only a matter of political will.
What if there is a basic income and the people refuse participation in the workforce? There will be no more value-creation, and thus no more tax revenue, and thus no basic income. According to the politicians, the basic danger comes from human beings themselves; because of human “laziness”, the freedom of decision allowed by a basic income could be dangerous.
“The referendum result will tell us if the Swiss people fear themselves too.” (Che Wagner)
Not all Swiss politicians share these fears. Cédric Wermuth of the Social Democratic Paty (SP), who endorses a basic income, believes that the proposal represents the best defense against the rise of a neoliberal storm. Andi Gross (SP), who will soon go out of office, adds, “basic income is a shift of power from capital to activity.”
In general, parliamentarians on the left seemed less frightened by the alleged danger. According to those on the left, the main drawback to a basic income is that it could be misunderstood. Swiss citizens, for example, might mistake it for a “housewife subsidy,” encouraging couples to live a traditional way of life where the wife stay at home. Or they might mistake it for a social “parking lot” for people who have no chance of finding a job.
“Basic income is a shift of power from capital to activity.”
(Andi Gross, SP)
These “dangers” all come from the same source: human nature. According to critics, people would misuse a basic income grant and live in ways that go against the expected norm.
At the end of the long day of debate, the parliamentarians voted 146 to 14 against the basic income petition. This vote, however, might reflect the influence of the upcoming referendum, as politicians tend to hesitate to stick their necks out too far. However, even while the overwhelming majority of politicians reject a basic income, an impressive proportion of the Swiss people support it. A poll in the newspaper Tages-Anzeiger, for instance, indicated that 49% of the public supports a basic income.
Despite the fear and negative vote, the debate marked progress in the movement for a basic income. As Alain Berset of the Swiss Federal Council remarked, the possibility even to debate this idea in the parliament of Switzerland is “of great value.”
The Council of States will debate the basic income initiative this winter. Then, in autumn 2016, the decision will fall to the Swiss citizens. The political class has identified its fear: the Swiss people and the danger of a “laziness” epidemic.
The referendum result will tell us if the Swiss people fear themselves too.
Che Wagner studied economic history. He is the director of the referendum campaign for a Basic Income in Switzerland.
