SRF-Arena: corporate responsibility initiative turns friends into enemies

review

“Hafechäs” or when the head of Economiesuisse almost lost her composure in the “Arena”

In SRF’s latest “Arena”, allies became opponents and friends became enemies, and in the midst of it all, a lady almost lost her composure. The blame: the corporate responsibility initiative.

Switzerland is in the middle of the second crown wave. However, unlike the first, the political clock is ticking. In less than a month, the Swiss electorate must cast two federal votes at the polls. One of them is the corporate responsibility initiative.

Everything revolves around the question of whether a Swiss company should be held responsible if one of its foreign subsidiaries poisons a river or lets children work. Swiss companies must respect international human rights and environmental standards, regardless of where they occur in the world, which is why the initiators demand it.

Public debate takes place on an emotional level, and even in the SRF “arena” people barely held back on admonishing index fingers, swearing, and accusations. SRF “Arena” host Sandro Brotz had a lot to do with his guests.

First, he takes action on Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP). With a poster of a Saint Bernard dog biting its tail, the concerns of the starters are belittled, hence Brotz’s accusation. “On the contrary,” replied the Minister of Justice somewhat exhausted: “We do not vote if you are for or against human rights.”

The problem is the radical nature of the initiative. “As a child you learn that you only have to answer for your own antics. But this initiative wants you to be responsible for the trash your colleague made. “

In addition to accountability, the initiative also requires due diligence as a first step. It’s expensive and time consuming to check, Keller-Sutter said. “I recently spoke with the CEO of a company that makes pharmaceuticals. A due diligence check with more than 10,000 suppliers would cost him a million francs a year. “

This statement takes Daniel Jositsch, SP Council of States and supporter of the corporate responsibility initiative out of the reserve. “The initiative is very clearly related to companies controlled by Swiss companies. Reviewed! This does not include providers, ”the Federal Councilor throws curled up at his feet. “Now you have to tell me, as Minister of Justice, if I really should look the other way in those cases, when child labor is taking place or the Amazon is shrinking.”

Before Keller-Sutter and Jositsch have finished arguing, host Brotz lights the next fire. Appears: The economic umbrella organization Economiesuisse against Operation Libero. The two unequal allies, who have often made common cause in past referendum battles to substantiate SVP initiatives, are suddenly no longer so casual.

“Operation Libero has become Operation Radical. It is fading, ”says Economiesuisse director Monika Rühl, poisoning co-chair Laura Zimmermann. Rühl fights for the counterproposal. This stipulates that companies must report annually if environmental and human rights standards are also being met abroad. Unlike the initiative, it does not want to sanction, unless the company has deliberately falsified the report. Then you can threaten a fine of 100,000 francs.

In the usual style of the teachers’ monologue, Zimmermann nullifies the counterproposal announced by Rühl so vehemently in a few sentences that Rühl quickly exclaims “Such Hafechäs”. This is not a school exercise here, this is about real grievances, a good report is of no use, Zimmermann rumors. “Anyone who is against this initiative is essentially against the fact that international human rights standards are respected.”

Change of scenery: they should be solemnly embraced and make plans for the new center. Instead, they cross the sheets: CVP President Gerhard Pfister and BDP President Martin Landolt. The Swiss economy is no more important to him than a child in a cotton field, says Pfister in response to Brotz’s provocative question. “99 percent of Swiss companies do a good job, the initiative also affects those who do impeccable business,” said the president of CVP.

Martin Landolt has a completely different opinion. “The initiative would even help Swiss companies. If Swiss companies meet international standards abroad, their reputation and credibility increase. “This is a win-win situation for the economy, the National Glarus Council said with confidence.

Regardless of whether the Minister of Justice versus the law professor, Economiesuisse versus Operation Libero, or the dispute in between: The discussion revolved over and over again around what Switzerland is so proud of: small and medium-sized companies who know each other affectionately. as “SMEs”.

What happens to SMEs if the initiative is accepted? Does Due Diligence Increase Your Effort? Can these also be held responsible?

“Only in exceptional cases” is what the proponents say. The exact provisions must then be stipulated in law, and the “bourgeois parliament” can be trusted that an initiative “will certainly not be interpreted more strictly than the initiators originally demanded.” However, Federal Councilor Keller-Sutter cautions that the administrative effort for smaller businesses would be enormous. “Especially in the cocoa or coffee industry, it is difficult for small businesses to track everything.”

With all the SMBs and always careful to give opponents and supporters exactly the same amount of time to speak, moderator Brotz finds it difficult to come to a conclusion. Laura Zimmermann gets the last word from the back row: “It is simply not too much to ask that victims of human rights violations have the opportunity to take legal action in Switzerland for their rights.”

And before anyone else can react, Brotz disconnects and thanks his guests for the lively discussion in the “Arena” studio, which is once again empty of the public.