With more than 125,000 signatures, the initiative was submitted to the Federal Chancellery on 16 December 2021.
KEYSTONE
The pandemic may have ended, but it continues to cause discussion at a political level. On June 9, the Swiss people are once again called to vote on an issue related to Covid-19. At the center of the debate: mandatory vaccination.
This content was published on
April 24, 2024 – 1.40pm
What is it about?
The popular initiative “For freedom and physical integrityExternal link” requires that “interventions on the physical or mental integrity of a person require his consent”. Each person should therefore have the freedom to decide for themselves what is injected into their body. The text specifies that those who refuse to give their consent “must not have a penalty imposed, nor suffer social or professional prejudice”.
This popular initiative, also called “Stop mandatory vaccination” was launched at the time of the pandemic and the restriction measures linked to it. The text was deposited with the Federal Chancellery at the end of 2021. At that time, most of the measures were already no longer in force. The Federal Council then revoked practically all of them in February 2022.
The text of the initiative
The Federal Constitution is amended as follows:
Art. 10 paragraph 2BIS
2bis Interventions on the physical or psychological integrity of a person require his consent. The data subject cannot be punished or suffer social or professional prejudice for refusing to give consent.
Art. 197 n. 122
12. Transitional provision of art. 10 paragraph. 2bis (Right to physical and mental integrity)
The Federal Assembly shall issue the implementing provisions of Article 10 paragraph 2bis at the latest within one year of the acceptance of this article by the people and the cantons. If the implementing provisions do not come into force within this period, the Federal Council issues them by ordinance and brings them into force upon expiry of this period. The ordinance is effective until the implementation provisions issued by the Federal Assembly come into force.
Source: admin.ch
Who launched the initiative?
The Swiss Freedom MovementExternal link (MSL) filed this initiative on December 16, 2021 with more than 125,000 valid signatures. Among the best-known personalities who signed the text there are also the former national councilor of the center Democratic Union (UDC, conservative right) Yvette Estermann and the actor-cabarette Marco Rima.
Who opposes?
The two Houses of Parliament and their respective Legal Affairs Committees rejected the initiative. The abstentions and voices in favor come exclusively from the ranks of the UDC. The Federal Council also said it was against it and did not want to propose a counter-proposal.
It took a relatively long time to create an opposition committee, probably because the initiative has little chance of success. MPs from the main parties (with the exception of the UDC) finally gathered under the leadership of the national councilor of the Green Liberal Party (PVL, ecology center) Beat Flach.
Other developments
Other developments
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It is rather unusual for individuals to lead a campaign to vote against initiatives. As a rule, it is the parties and associations that come together. As this was not the case this time, Flach took the first step for reasons of democratic politics. “If the Federal Council and Parliament reject the initiative, someone must represent this position in the voting campaign,” he explained.
What does the “yes” camp say?
“Refusing us the right to dispose of our own bodies is the greatest crime in the modern history of humanity since the days of slavery,” summarizes the president of the MSL, Richard Koller, to explain the reasons for the initiative.
Demonstration in Winterthur on February 26, 2022 against the measures introduced as part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Target of criticism on this activist’s manifesto: George Soros, Alain Berset, Klaus Schwab, Tanja Stadler, Bill Gates and the media.
KEYSTONE/© KEYSTONE / WALTER BIERI
According to press reports, the MSL fears that “digital chips or codes” will be installed under the skin or injected in the future. He also suspects that people like Bill Gates or organizations like the WHO are the driving force behind this evolution and that politics will take increasingly authoritarian measures against the population.
What does the “no” camp say?
According to the Federal Council, the text of the initiative goes well beyond the topic of vaccinations and introduces legal uncertainty in various areas of society, for example in criminal prosecution or in the law of protection of minors and adults. Furthermore, already today no one can be forced to get vaccinated against their will.
In Parliament, the initiative was defined as “wrong” because it raises false expectations and is formulated too generally. The requests for a counter-proposal, formulated by the UDC, were rejected with the justification that it is not up to Parliament to correct such wrong initiatives.
By Balz Rigendinger
Translation: Zeno Zoccatelli
