The Swiss Abroad parliamentary group: Debate on the SRG Initiative

The Swiss Abroad parliamentary group met on the morning of 28 February at the Federal Palace for the first "parliamentary breakfast" of the new legislative period. The focus of discussions was the "200 francs is enough!" SRG Initiative to halve the radio and TV fee and the effect this would have on obtaining information for the more than 800,000 Swiss Abroad.

In addition to the parliamentarians, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) Director Gilles Marchand and SWI swissinfo.ch Director Larissa Bieler were also present at the breakfast meeting. In their presentations, they emphasized to the parliamentarians present that if the initiative were passed it would jeopardize balanced reporting for the Swiss Abroad - especially on political issues. Marchand also stressed that SRG reporting not only benefits the “Fifth Switzerland”: SRG and its internationally oriented offerings such as swissinfo, 3Sat, TV5Monde and TVsvizzera.it increase the visibility and understanding of Switzerland's economic, political and cultural landscape and promote its international appeal.

Filippo Lombardi, President of the Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) SwissCommunity, added OSA's perspective to the discussion. OSA had published its statement on the partial revision of the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO) in January, in which it spoke out against a reduction in fees. The reduction contradicts one of the points in the OSA election manifesto, which calls for “ensuring the development of high-quality and independent information for the ”Fifth Switzerland".

It is of fundamental importance for the Swiss Abroad to be able to obtain the best possible information about their rights and obligations as Swiss citizens and to exercise their political rights in full possession of the facts. To this end, a cooperation agreement between SRG and the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad has been in place for years and was extended in 2022. It aims to strengthen the synergies between "Swiss Review", published by OSA, and SWI swissinfo.ch. 

Carlo Sommaruga, the co-president of the Swiss Abroad parliamentary group and a board member of the Council of the Swiss Abroad, concluded that the SRG Initiative is a frontal attack on Switzerland's public service and would jeopardize the access of the Swiss Abroad to neutral and high-quality daily information about Switzerland. To maintain the quality of reporting, OSA is calling on the Federal Council and Parliament to refrain from reducing the subsidies and fees. 

More about the Swiss Abroad parliamentary group.