Let’s pass countermeasures such as temporary shop suspension
Civic groups, 86,000 signed and submitted
“There is no risk management without the will of the sovereign.”
Higher negative public opinion over government life restrictions
Although many of the provisions become invalid at the time of voting,
“It will be an important precedent to refer to in the future crisis”
On December 22, 2020 (local time), the gondola of Verbier Alpine Resort in Switzerland is in operation. Local media reported on the 27th that the resort, known as a place for British ski vacations, appears to have left hundreds of British miners after breaking self-isolation measures and spreading to the region. AFP Yonhap News
A referendum is held in Switzerland asking the validity of the COVID-19 quarantine law, which limits personal freedom. The conflict between respect for individual freedom and policies restricting citizens’ lives for the sake of public health is expected to be an unusual event discussed through a referendum. ‘Friends of the Constitution’, a Swiss civic group, collected 86,000 signatures and submitted them to the federal government on the 13th to conduct a referendum asking whether the Corona 19 Countermeasures Act was abolished. In Switzerland, referendums are held four times a year and every three months. In case of objection to federal law or policy, a referendum can be requested if more than 50,000 signatures are collected within 100 days of the notice. The federal government should incorporate the results of the referendum into policy. The referendum is expected to start as early as June. The Swiss Parliament passed the Corona 19 Countermeasures Act in September last year to lay the groundwork for quarantine measures, including temporary suspension of store operations. Previously, citizens’ lives could be restricted based on the Infectious Disease Countermeasures Act, but only temporarily under parliamentary surveillance. “We think the government is using pandemics to tighten controls and weaken democracy,” said Christoph Pfluger, “Friends of the Constitution”. “The long-term problems that arise with this approach are significant. We are campaigning that we cannot even manage the crisis without the will of the sovereign.” In Switzerland, which values individual freedom, negative public opinion is high on restricting citizens’ lives for quarantine. According to a poll released last November by the Swiss Public Broadcasting System (SRF), 55% of respondents were’worried that individual freedoms are limited by government measures’. About one-third of the respondents said,’It is too much of a measure to close restaurants and bars at 11 pm’. The Swiss government allowed the operation of ski resorts alone at the end of last year, even when other European countries adjacent to the Alps closed their ski resorts due to fears of a relapse of Corona 19. However, in recent years, Switzerland is also taking a strong containment policy, surprised by the momentum of the recurrence of Corona 19. On December 18, last year, restaurants, bars, and various leisure facilities were closed until February. On the 12th, it was expanded to all facilities except those related to daily necessities. There are more than 490,000 cumulative corona19 confirmed cases in Switzerland, with a population of about 8.5 million. The number of infections per day exceeded 10,000 on November 2 of last year, but recently after the blockade was implemented, it has decreased to 3,000 per day. Many of the provisions of the Corona 19 Countermeasure Act, which will be asked whether to abolish it, are designed to become ineffective at the time of the referendum. The actual benefit of the referendum may not seem great, but’Friends of the Constitution’ insist it is important to set a precedent for reference in future crisis situations. By Jo Ki-won, staff reporter