Basic Income – The revolution fails – Süddeutsche.de

Swiss vote against an unconditional basic income for all. But the discussion continues – many want to soon vote again.

From Charlotte Theile , Zurich

It was one of the most closely watched polls that Switzerland has seen in recent years. This Sunday, the Swiss would have had the opportunity to make themselves pay a basic income equivalent to 2 250 euros, unconditionally. International media reported young people from all over the world came to Lake Zurich for discussion. The result was surprisingly sober: Only twenty percent of voters were in favor of an unconditional basic income. In polls before a yes-share of about thirty percent had been predicted.

The activists who still drove voters on Sunday morning with the golden Tesla for local, tried in their also is gold election party in Basel, to make the result a success. He had expected about 15 percent support, said about Daniel Häni, founder of the coffee shop “unternehmen.mitte” in which took place the Party

Now it wants to test the project on the micro-level -. In cities , villages, cantons

Already it had become clear that the Swiss who choose traditionally conservative on economic issues, would not agree to this idea in the weeks before the vote. Employers President Valentin Vogt took the result with joy: The people have decided against this “venture” – mainly because the financing has remained unclear. The reading, to which the activists had agreed in the past few days, on the other hand was: The world could Switzerland’s be thankful that they have furthered this discussion

It was not the only fundamental decision about. the Swiss had to rule on this Sunday. Another controversial initiative aimed at the organization of public services. The communications provider Swisscom, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the post office should no longer strive for profit, but would only seek to offer a possible low-cost, good service, called for an initiative by consumer advocates who bore the name “Pro Service public” .

Although the initiative of all members of the Berne National Council had been rejected, she first came in an impressive survey results. More than 50 percent of voters said they would vote for the foray. One of the most popular demands of “Pro Service public”: The annual salary of the company’s directors of Swisscom and Co should be capped at about 430 000 Euro. However, during the election campaign, the consumer advocates increasingly lost ground: Finally voted only 30 percent of voters with Yes. Internationally, the former state-owned Swisscom, SBB and Post are regarded as exemplary

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CHF 2,500 for all? Actually a nice idea, but perhaps rather not! Swiss citizens in Sunday’s ballot at a school in Bern

(Photo: Reuters).

Two other polls completed no big surprises. Thus, the Swiss voted in both a new, liberal reproductive Act as well as a reform in the asylum legislation. Both laws had been recommended by the Swiss government, the Federal Council for approval. The initiative of the road lobby was rejected on the other hand, what the polls had however already clearly predicted.

While journalists and politicians quickly it agreed that it had been rather ordinary polls, celebrated the basic income activists in Basel ” first time in human history “, which has been voted on their idea. The campaign was supported by prominent entrepreneurs like dm-founder Götz Werner and renowned economists like Joseph Stiglitz.

In a separate vote studio they showed the results from the rural cantons, which were the basic income particularly skeptical, while urban cantons were receptive. In parts of Zurich’s initiative even got more than 50 percent.

As it now continues with the idea? Campaign manager Che Wagner assumes that Switzerland will eventually vote again on the basic income. “But a little time must pass, which would otherwise be an affront” says Wagner. The vote was but “a clear mandate” to the Swiss policy to continue to deal with the issue, finds Che Wagner.

He points to a survey conducted by the renowned Swiss research institute gfs has created. 62 percent of about 1000 respondents believe that the discussion about the basic income goes now, 69 percent even said they expected that would again vote on this issue.

In the 18- to 29- year, these values ​​are particularly high. Now one wants to test the basic income at the micro-level – in towns, villages, cantons, Wagner said. First signals there from western Switzerland, where the basic income has achieved better results than in the rest of the country. So the city of Lausanne decided in April to launch a pilot project off the ground, which will explore the effects of an unconditional income for welfare recipients. One half of the study participants to receive money without conditions, the other with. The question which will go after the city, are: Makes a basic income lazy? Until the test run starts, but will take years. One thing is certain: The basic income is the Switzerland still occupy some time

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