Campaign videos from the Federal Parliament soon to be banned?

The Federal Palace with its green domed roof is as recognizable as few other buildings in this country. This also applies to the interior. Those interested in politics know not only the National Council and Council of States Chambers, but also the Wandelhalle or the domed hall with the statues of the three Swiss confederates. They are the stage setting of our semi-direct democracy.

And it is on this stage that numerous actors stage their concerns. It has become common practice for party and association secretariats as well as professional campaigning firms to shoot campaign videos with members of parliament before votes, promoting either a no or a yes vote.

House rules are being reviewed

But it is not only elected representatives who use the Federal Palace as a stage. Lobbyists and other people with access to the Federal Palace also put themselves in the spotlight there. Recently, video and photo recordings of Nicolas A. Rimoldi, the president of the Mass-Voll movement, which is critical of the measures, have caused quite a stir.

Until recently, Rimoldi had a badge for the Federal Palace that Erich Vontobel had given him. The week before last, the EDU National Councillor withdrew Rimoldi’s access to the Federal Palace. This was in response to Rimoldi’s demand that the Zurich GLP politician Sanja Ameti be “deported” for shooting at a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus.

Even before this, Rimoldi had repeatedly used aggressive rhetoric against parliament and government (“We must destroy the enemies within. (…) Go to hell!”) – and at the same time used the parliament building as a stage. As a result, the six-member administrative delegation of parliament, consisting of the presidiums of the National Council and the Council of States, also dealt with the issue (CH Media reported).

The committee took note of “various incidents that required the enforcement of house rules,” as the parliamentary services wrote in response to a request. “The administrative delegation is currently examining whether a revision of the house rules is appropriate and has issued corresponding orders.”

On the sidelines of the current autumn session, National Council President Eric Nussbaumer (SP/BL) – ex officio chairman of the administrative delegation – explained the direction of the possible revision of house rules: “We are examining whether there is a need for stricter guidelines for filming and photographing for voting and election campaigns.”

«Unregulated filmmaking»

This question is not only due to various incidents involving Nicolas A. Rimoldi, emphasises Nussbaumer: “The parliamentary leadership has long been aware that the interior of the Federal Palace is increasingly being used as a backdrop for political advertising.”

In contrast to accredited media professionals, for whom there are clear rules regarding filming and photography and sanctions in the event of violations, “filming for political advertising is an unregulated activity.” The administrative delegation is therefore examining whether adjustments to the house rules in this area are sensible and enforceable.

It is also conceivable that council members would also have to adhere to certain rules when taking photos. “If there were any new rules, the rights of the elected representatives in the Federal Parliament would probably be assessed differently than those of lobbyists, guests or employees of associations and parties,” says Nussbaumer.

According to parliamentary services, work on a possible adjustment of the House Rules is currently underway; no definitive decisions have yet been made.