Authorities provide only “limited useful information” before votes
Published: Friday, Nov 24th 2023, 13:20
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In individual cases, the authorities only provide "limited appropriate" information before votes. This is the conclusion reached by the National Council's Control Committee (GPK-N) in a new report. It recognizes a "partial need for action".
Communication with the authorities prior to votes repeatedly gives rise to criticism, for example with regard to the information in the voting booklet or the communication of individual members of the Federal Council. The Parliamentary Administrative Control (PAC) therefore carried out an in-depth analysis of the referendum on child deductions, the Responsible Business Initiative, the pesticide initiative and the referendum on the Film Act.
The report published on Friday reveals that there were isolated deficits that often coincided with media criticism of communication with the authorities. In the case of the referendum on child deductions, the detailed explanations in the explanatory notes to the vote were more argumentative than fact-based on one point. In this case, the communication was "rather minimalist".
Campaign instead of information
In the example of the referendum on the Film Act, the information in the voting booklet was incomplete and not transparent throughout, according to the PVK report, in that a graphic was presented in an oversimplified form and therefore the correct information was not available.
In the case of the Responsible Business Initiative, it became apparent "that the department's communication was geared more towards rejecting the initiative than towards informing voters". In the opinion of the PAC, the intended manner of communication crossed the line between information and campaigning, which runs counter to proportionate communication.
According to the PIC, the communication of the head of the department - at that time the Minister of Justice was Karin Keller-Sutter - was proportionate in view of the intensive media campaign, but the planned measures were not sufficiently geared towards informing the general public.
Uniform rules required
Overall, the principle of proportionality in communication with the authorities and the legal requirements with regard to the content of communication were complied with in most cases, the CPC-N found in its analysis. However, the supervisory authority considers it problematic that the information mandate is interpreted in individual cases in such a way that the electorate should be convinced of an opinion.
"This does not take into account the principle of proportionality," the commission said. It is therefore necessary to establish a uniform regulation in this area in the basic principles of communication with authorities that applies equally to all departments.
According to the GPK-N, the Federal Chancellery's directives for editing the explanatory notes for votes are also not being used sufficiently by the departments. "The Commission criticizes the departments' lack of sense of responsibility," the report states. The GPK-N was also surprised that a four-eyes check of the information and figures was not always carried out by those people who had the necessary specialist knowledge.
Four recommendations to the Federal Council
Furthermore, according to the report, the High Supervisory Commission considers it appropriate to regulate the distribution of responsibilities for public statements or posts on social media and to determine which authority communicates on which aspect.
In its report, the GPK-N formulated a total of four recommendations for the attention of the Federal Council. It has until mid-February to comment on them.
The Federal Act on Political Rights regulates the provision of information to voters. It requires the Federal Council to keep voters continuously informed about federal voting proposals. In doing so, it must observe the principles of completeness, objectivity, transparency and proportionality.
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