Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, Swiss federal measures have been based heavily on epidemiological assumptions and scenarios. The primacy of virus control has been accompanied by a far-reaching curtailment of basic individual and economic rights. The economic distortions have been massive, while secondary health and social effects, such as mental illness, have increased sharply.
After nearly a year of exceptional conditions, the state’s crisis management is coming under increasing criticism from various quarters, and serious questions are emerging about the trade-offs in the fight against the pandemic.
In this analysis, Avenir Suisse describes these and asks fundamental questions that have been only partially answered to date:
- What are the strategic goals of the federal government in its pandemic response?
- What restrictions on freedom are justified for this purpose, taking into account the growing number of vaccinated persons?
- How great is the economic and financial impact that can be sustained by private companies and the state?
- What collateral damage to public health is deemed acceptable in prioritizing the fight against Covid-19?
Pandemic control should increasingly focus on the welfare of society as a whole. This implies that policy makers explicitly address the trade-offs made and answers the relevant questions.
