Market economy as a discontinued model
Guest commentary The result of the vote in Baselland has a signal character, thinks Piero Schäfer.
Guest commentary The referendum result in Basel-Landschaft has a signal character, says Piero Schäfer.The result is abundantly clear. More than two-thirds of the voters in the canton of Basel-Landschaft voted against billboard advertising for tobacco and alcohol (except beer and wine). The result is surprising at most in its clarity: within a good ten years, the mood of the people has turned 180 degrees. In 1993, the twin initiatives had been rejected in the same proportion. What has changed since then? The FOPH has done a good job. Its protagonists have succeeded in demonizing advertising. With arguments that can be refuted in part, but have never been questioned. In addition, there is a general advertising weariness, "political correctness" and an unbelievable seeming lack of interest in the industry. Those who are not directly affected by advertising bans take note of the politicians' efforts with a shrug of the shoulders.
Solidarity or defending fundamental rights is not part of day-to-day business. And now that the tobacco industry has also resigned itself to the seemingly inevitable, the SW stood alone in the headwind.
The people have decided, and we have to accept that. We may even do so with a certain amount of relief. Because although we remain convinced that advertising bans are disproportionate and of no use, the lonely battle against windmills has taken its toll. The recriminations against the defenders of constitutional rights and the constant insinuations of malice have left their mark.
The result of Baselland is a call for further efforts of this kind. It is only a matter of time before the other cantons also ban the advertising of tobacco and alcoholic beverages. They no longer have to fear political resistance.
Apart from the fact that this federalist approach is detrimental to legal certainty, one may wonder how much impact the outcome will have on future policy, given that the health lobby is already focusing its attention on other products that are harmful to health. Fatty foods and sweet temptations are at the forefront.
If we then fail to form a broad front against the renewed dismantling of freedom of communication, we will slowly have to get used to the idea that the market economy is a discontinued model. And the astonishing thing is that a considerable proportion of bourgeois politicians hardly give it a second thought.
Piero Schäfer is the Communications Officer of Swiss Advertising SW.
Solidarity or defending fundamental rights is not part of day-to-day business. And now that the tobacco industry has also resigned itself to the seemingly inevitable, the SW stood alone in the headwind.
The people have decided, and we have to accept that. We may even do so with a certain amount of relief. Because although we remain convinced that advertising bans are disproportionate and of no use, the lonely battle against windmills has taken its toll. The recriminations against the defenders of constitutional rights and the constant insinuations of malice have left their mark.
The result of Baselland is a call for further efforts of this kind. It is only a matter of time before the other cantons also ban the advertising of tobacco and alcoholic beverages. They no longer have to fear political resistance.
Apart from the fact that this federalist approach is detrimental to legal certainty, one may wonder how much impact the outcome will have on future policy, given that the health lobby is already focusing its attention on other products that are harmful to health. Fatty foods and sweet temptations are at the forefront.
If we then fail to form a broad front against the renewed dismantling of freedom of communication, we will slowly have to get used to the idea that the market economy is a discontinued model. And the astonishing thing is that a considerable proportion of bourgeois politicians hardly give it a second thought.
Piero Schäfer is the Communications Officer of Swiss Advertising SW.
