Neuchâtel wants to restrict billboard advertising
The Neuchâtel Cantonal Parliament wants to ban sexist advertising and advertising for small loans in public spaces. On Wednesday, it approved two motions to that effect.
Neuchâtel would be the third canton, after Basel-City and Vaud, to introduce a ban on sexist advertising in public spaces. The cantonal government showed readiness to accept the proposal of the SP and the parliamentary group of the Greens and POP. A ban on sexist advertising is one among other measures on the way to equality, said SP government councilor Florence Nater.
The FDP and SVP in particular opposed the proposal. Patricia Borloz expressed fears on behalf of the Free Democrats that such advertising restrictions could lead in the direction of censorship. "Will we also get an advertising ban on red meat at some point?" she asked.
For the SVP, the motion opens the door to lawsuits of all kinds. An advertisement could be offensive to some, while others would not find it so, said Estelle Matthey-Junod.
A second motion of the Left Party, which is intended to counteract indebtedness, was also approved. The motion calls for the municipalities to ensure that small loans can no longer be advertised on billboards in public spaces. The government was also in favor of this motion. (SDA/swi)
