Swiss Reject Proposal to Slash Licence Fee for Public Broadcaster
Swiss voters have turned down an initiative aimed at significantly reducing the annual licence fee for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), according to initial projections following Sunday's referendum.
The current licence fee, which has already seen reductions in recent years, stands at 335 Swiss francs (£320; $435) per household annually.
The initiative, supported by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, proposed lowering the fee to 200 francs (£190; $260) per year, with an exemption for businesses.
However, the proposal was defeated, receiving only 38% support, while 62% of voters opted to maintain the licence fee at its current level.
Arguments For and Against the Fee Reduction
The Swiss People's Party contended that the fee was excessive, particularly in light of rising living costs. They highlighted that Switzerland's licence fee exceeds those of neighboring countries such as Austria and Germany.
Opposing the initiative, the government and all other parliamentary parties emphasized the importance of the licence fee in ensuring adequate representation of Switzerland's four national languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansh.
Concerns were also raised about potential negative impacts on foreign news and sports coverage if the fee were reduced.
Government Plans and Business Exemptions
The Swiss government has already planned to lower the licence fee to 300 Swiss francs by 2029. These plans include extending exemptions to more companies.
Separate Vote on Cash Availability in the Constitution
In a related referendum, Swiss voters also approved enshrining the availability of cash in the constitution.
Two proposals were considered: an initiative titled "Cash is Freedom," introduced by the citizens' movement MSL, and a government counter-proposal, both aiming to guarantee cash availability constitutionally.
Initial projections indicated that approximately 70% of voters supported the government's counter-proposal, which stipulates that the Swiss National Bank would ensure the supply of cash.
The MSL movement insisted on specifying "coins and banknotes" in its initiative rather than the broader term "cash," arguing that the government's proposal was insufficient.
The Swiss People's Party had argued that the fee was too high, given the rise in the cost of living. The licence fee in Switzerland is more than in neighbouring countries such as Austria or Germany.
The government and all other parliamentary parties opposed the move. They argued that the licence fee was key to ensuring that Switzerland's four languages - French, German, Italian and Romantsch - were properly represented.
There were also concerns that cuts would impact foreign news and sports coverage.
The Swiss government has already decided to reduce the contribution to 300 Swiss francs by 2029. Under the plans, more companies will be exempt from the fee.
In a separate move, the Swiss also voted in favour of having the availability of cash enshrined in the constitution.
Two proposals on the issue were up for consideration: an initiative called "Cash is Freedom" introduced by a citizens movement, MSL, and a counter proposal by the government, which also called for cash to be anchored in the constitution.
Initial projections said around 70% of voters backed the government's counter proposal, which said that the Swiss National Bank would guarantee the supply of cash.
The MSL, which insisted on "coins and banknotes" in its initiative rather than just "cash" had argued that the government proposal did not go far enough.
