2023-11-22 19:41:58
He wanted to cancel the Billag fee, now he watches over the SRG
The Federal Council elects the SVP politician to the board of directors of the Swiss Radio and Television Company. Media politics is new territory for the Zurich resident.
Ex-National Councilor Hans-Ueli Vogt at the SVP delegates’ meeting on October 22, 2022 in Lucerne.
Photo: Urs Flueler (Keystone)
He is a law professor, former SVP Federal Council candidate and new board member of the Swiss Radio and Television Company (SRG). On Wednesday, Hans-Ueli Vogt was elected to the SRG management board by the Federal Council. The department of SVP Media Minister Albert Rösti announced this after the Federal Council meeting and wrote that Vogt would “effectively promote the interests of the public service”. He replaces the resigning Marc Furrer, the former advisor to former Federal Councilor Adolf Ogi.
Vogt takes up his post at a time that will be characterized by a public service debate. Exponents of the SVP and the Young Liberals have the so-called Halving initiative launched, which is officially called “200 francs is enough” (SRG initiative). The aim is to reduce the radio and TV fee from 335 to 200 francs. The Federal Council with Media Minister Rösti has responded with a counter-proposal and would like to do so Reduce fee to 300 francs. Much to the indignation of the SRG, which writes: “The reduction proposed by the Federal Council would have a massive impact on the program and staff.”
New political terrain
Vogt has not yet appeared as a media politician. He is considered the creator of the self-determination initiative, which wanted to place the federal constitution above international law. With former Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher, he drafted the neutrality initiative, which aims to largely prohibit Switzerland from forming defense alliances and participating in sanctions.
Why was Vogt chosen for the SRG board of directors? He doesn’t answer any questions about his new position. He also does not want to comment on the halving initiative, as he said when asked.
With his attitude, he is likely to have a difficult position on the SRG supervisory board.
And what about the “No Billag” initiative? The bill sought to completely abolish reception fees for radio and television. The initiative also required that the federal government not subsidize radio and television stations and not operate its own stations in peacetime. It would probably have been the end of the SRG. The initiative was rejected by voters in 2018.
During this time, Vogt sat for the SVP in the National Council. When Parliament considered the initiative, Vogt abstained from the final vote. In an earlier vote in the National Council, he supported the abolition of television fees.
With his attitude, he is likely to have a difficult position on the SRG supervisory board. Or does the Federal Council deliberately want to turn the goat into a gardener by electing Hans-Ueli Vogt to the SRG board of directors?
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