Open letter concerning the vote on the "200 francs is enough" initiative in March 2026

Zurich, December 2025

Dear musicians, cultural creators and users of SRG programming,
dear Mrs Susanne Wille,

In March 2026, we will be voting on the "200 francs is enough" initiative. From the outset, we are taking a stand against this attack on our public broadcasting service. SRG is committed to providing independent information, representing the cultural diversity of our country, building bridges between science and the general public, and publicizing the concerns of minorities. It fulfils its mission in all regions and languages of the country. In fulfilling this mission, it is indispensable to our country in maintaining democracy and strengthening the sense of belonging. No private, commercial channel driven by vested interests can fulfil these tasks, even in part. We are called upon to show our solidarity with the SRG in discussions and public appearances over the coming months, and to ensure that the above-mentioned initiative is rejected.

This obligation is binding. However, we must protest in the strongest possible terms against the measures decided by the SRG management in recent months. The right-wing populists' strategy of undermining democratic conditions includes attacks on independent media and the freedom of science and the arts. The abolition of programs, for example in the fields of literature and science and, more recently, in the field of music - "Musik unserer Zeit" in German-speaking Switzerland - is a premature concession to the above-mentioned right-wing tendencies and an abandonment of the central points enshrined in the public service remit.

The major Swiss cultural associations have so far refrained from taking a public stance on these cuts, probably in order not to weaken the referendum campaign against the initiative to halve SRG funding by criticizing the latter. However, in view of the current situation and future developments, it is necessary to make a firm commitment to maintaining sufficient funding for the SRG, and to criticize the decisions taken by its management. SRG deserves our support because of its unique characteristics. Its current strategy of adapting to market demands is tantamount to ignoring the mission that justifies adequate public funding. Instead of cutting programs such as "Wissenschaftsmagazin" and "Musik unserer Zeit", the management's strategy in the referendum campaign should, for example, be to resolutely pursue the dialogue between science and society, and to meticulously nurture in-depth journalistic work in the cultural sector.

Market researchers may consider listeners of Espace2's music and literary columns to be negligible, just like the die-hard fans of "Klassiktelefon" or the loyal audience of "Echo der Zeit" - to stay within the realm of radio programs. In the run-up to the next vote, we must not forget that this loyal audience is ready to mobilize in defense of SRG.

SRG must rely on resistance rather than adaptation, on its uniqueness, if it is not to dig its own grave. It urgently needs to remember which key areas of its mission it needs to protect, and who its comrades and allies in civil society are in the fight against the initiative to halve its budget.

Signatories (in alphabetical order)

Heinrich Aerni, Ingrid Alexandre, Dieter Ammann

Ulrike Andersen, Monika Baer, Nik Bärtsch

Werner Bärtschi, André Baltensperger, Philip Bartels

Felix Baumann, Peter Baur, André Bellmont

Elisabeth Berger, Marino Bernasconi, Ramon Bischoff

William Blank, Dominik Blum, Bettina Boller

Hugo Bollschweiler, Thüring Bräm, Esther de Bros

Albin Brun, Catriona Bühler, Christiane Bult

Peggy Chew, Jessie Cox, Flurin Cuonz

Reto Cuonz, Therese Cuonz-Räz, Jürg Dähler

Claudio Danuser, Daniela Dolci, Mariana Doughty

Alfred Felder, Adrian Frey, Daniel Fueter

Thomas Gartmann, Bettina Ginsberg, Roger Girod

Katharina Gohl, Anna-Katharina Graf, Kathrin Graf

Ivo Haag, Jonas C. Haefeli, Viviane Hasler

Edu Haubensak, Doris Hauser, Fritz Hauser

Ruedi Häusermann, Hanna Helfenstein, Horst Hildebrandt

Christian Hilz, Jeannine Hirzel, Beat Hofstetter

Christoph Homberger, Raphael Immoos, Markus Jans

Mischa Kaeser, Eriko Kagawa, Vera Kappeler

Christoph Keller, Max E. Keller, Simone Keller

Burkhard Kinzler, Michael Kleiser, Christian Kobi

Canan Kocaay, Tamriko Kordzaia, Niklaus Kost

Herbert Kramis, Hanspeter Kriesi, Anne-May Krüger

Jojo Kunz, Annette Labusch, Matías Lanz

Leslie Leon, Heinrich Mätzener, Delia Mayer

Thomas Meyer, Roland Moser, Moritz Müllenbach

Marie-Louise Müller Choquard, Martin Neukom, Lucas Niggli

Anne-Catherine de Perrot, Stefka Perifanova, Peter Reidemeister

Felix Renggli, Nicola Romanò, Petra Ronner

Michel Roth, Johannes Rühl, Bettina Ruf

Edward Rushton, Nina Sahdeva, Claudine Saner

Urs Saner, Evangelos Sarafianos, Tobias Schabenberger

Sir András Schiff, Isabelle Schnöller, Oliver Schnyder

Muriel Schwarz, Meinrad Schweizer, Yuuko Shiokawa

Peter Siegwart, Rahel Sohn, Peter R. Solomon

Bruno Spoerri, Eleonor Stähli, Jacques Stähli

Urs Stäuble, Egidius Streiff, Monica Thommy

Germán Toro Pérez, Balz Trümpy, Saadet Türköz

Nina Ulli, Christoph Ullmann, Petra Vahle

Katharina Weber, Urs Weibel, Andreas Werner

Peter Wettstein, Maki Wiederkehr, Helena Winkelmann

René Wohlhauser, Maria Wolff, Alfred Zimmerlin, Samuel Zünd

PDF download of the original letter