- With 58.4 percent, the film law is accepted relatively clearly.
- With the revision of the Film Act, the Federal Council and Parliament want to make domestic and foreign television broadcasters and streaming services legally equal. A referendum was held against it.
- The supporters are relieved, the opponents speak of a respectable success.
film law
Federal proposal: Amendment of the federal law on film production and film culture
YES
1,255,032
VoicesNO
893,369
Voices
Like domestic TV broadcasters, global streaming services must now also invest part of their revenue in Swiss filmmaking. From the beginning of 2024, companies such as Netflix or Disney+ will have to invest four percent of their sales generated in Switzerland in Swiss film and series productions.
Population “divided in the middle”
Financially, it was very little for the consumers, so the question of value was more important for the voters, whether they wanted to intervene in economic freedom, Urs Bieri from GFS Bern told Radio SRF. Overall, the population is “relatively split in the middle” on this issue. Approval is therefore likely to be rather narrow.
According to estimates, the expansion of the investment obligation would mean that an additional CHF 18 million would flow into Swiss filmmaking every year. In addition, the range of streaming services would have to consist of 30 percent films or series that were produced in Europe.
Are prices going up now?
The supporters of the bill are relieved. “It’s an investment in a film that Netflix would otherwise make in America. It’s about the culture, it’s about Swissness. It’s about advertising for Swiss tourism. And that’s great, »said Bernese SP National Councilor Matthias Aebischer. He is amazed that the referendum even took place. “In the beginning there was a whopping majority in the Council of States and the National Council.”
Will the prices rise with the yes? “Of course the prices can rise,” says Aebischer. Netflix increased prices in Switzerland at the beginning of the year. However, he points out that Netflix in Switzerland charges twice as much for the same subscriptions as in the USA – primarily because of purchasing power. “One can never rule out that prices will rise somewhere, but certainly not because of the film law.”
Matthias Müller, President of the Young FDP, has campaigned against the new film law. Against the accusation of the supporter Matthias Aebischer from the SP that the opponents had worked with “fake news” by claiming that the costs would increase, he defends himself: “That’s cheap polemics.”
Many have a Netflix subscription. “And it will hit them.” He takes the film lobby and Aebischer at their word, who said that the golden age of Swiss filmmaking is now beginning – with the yes. The voting result remains a respectable success, said Müller.
«Has developed into a fundamental debate»
“It has developed into a bit of a fundamental debate. Would the Swiss voters want more series and films from Switzerland?” So says Jessica Hefti from Zodiac Pictures. She is also happy with the decision.
Babette Sigg Frank, President of the Swiss Consumer Forum, is less pleased: “I suspect the voters were not aware that they were already supporting Swiss film with three methods. Now comes the fourth method, which we don’t think is necessary.”