No digitalisation without civil society (open letter)

By email to: members of the Finance Committee of the Council of States and Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter

Bern, 16.11.2024

No digitalisation without civil society – digital lighthouse projects for the common good

Dear Members of the Council of States,

Dear Federal Councillor Keller-Sutter

Digital civil society is an important driver of innovation in the public interest. Switzerland has a lively scene of developers of digital projects that enable greater democratic participation for society as a whole and for important social groups, such as young people, people with disabilities or migrants. Thanks to private support, important digital projects have emerged in recent years* that

• enable people with motor disabilities to plan individual journeys and excursions and thus participate more fully in social life,
• make it easier for the public to take part in consultations and thus in the legislative process, or
• enable pupils to engage with cultural diversity and promote social cohesion.

For a long time, this important contribution to digital innovation and social cohesion received no public recognition. Thanks to the Federal Act on the Use of Electronic Means to Fulfil Government Tasks (EMBAG), a first legal basis for this important work was created: with start-up funding totalling 2 million francs per year, digitalisation projects by civil society were also to be eligible for support.

However, as part of the forthcoming austerity exercise, which goes back to the “expert group on the review of tasks and subsidies”, the Federal Council now plans to dispense entirely with the so-called lighthouse projects and even to repeal Article 17 EMBAG. The justification remains inadequate, as only companies (“efficiency considerations”) and the administration (Digital Public Services Switzerland) are mentioned. The loss for civil society goes unmentioned – a typical sign that its contribution is often overlooked. Yet civil society contributes significantly to a digitalisation that is oriented towards the common good and centred on users, but also effective, and that strengthens interoperability, sustainability, transparency and openness.

Alongside membership fees, donations and funding from foundations, public funding is a mainstay for numerous non-profit organisations – for us. Although the savings (2 million per year) are tiny in relation to the overall austerity measures, this money matters to our organisations in achieving a great impact.

For these and other reasons*, we ask you to refrain from cutting the lighthouse projects and to keep Article 17 EMBAG in the act as an optional provision, in order to secure future options for action for the Federal Council and Switzerland in favour of a digitalisation oriented towards the common good.

We are happy to answer any questions at any time. 

Kind regards

Florin Hasler, Opendata.ch

Olga Baranova, CH++

Angela Müller, AlgorithmWatch CH

Erik Schönenberger, Digitale Gesellschaft

Jenny Ebermann, Wikimedia CH

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* Since 2020, the Prototype Fund has funded 16 non-profit open source projects in three rounds with a total of CHF 1.5 million. A fourth round is planned for 2025.

** Further arguments:

• Without investment, Switzerland risks falling behind as a location for innovation in times of rapid technological development.
• The Confederation can save costs by supporting one-off projects by external parties instead of carrying them out itself – for example in harmonising parliamentary data, providing open source training data for AI models or in digital permit procedures for municipalities. Art. 17 EMBAG ensures that results, data and code are freely accessible, thus creating lasting added value.
• Repealing the optional provision means losing valuable room for manoeuvre for the future. Art. 17 EMBAG forms the basis for funding in the field of digitalisation. A new attempt to create a legal basis would take years.
• The Federal Chancellery is in favour of the start-up funding.