How Swiss overregulation is crushing small businesses

Swiss microbusinesses drown in a rising tide of overregulation

Martin Jucker: "The State Is Driving Us All into the Wall!"

Entrepreneurs and authorities are drowning together in a sea of regulations, writes Martin Jucker in his column.

We Swiss take pride in doing things correctly and by the book. One of our greatest strengths is our commitment to following the law—and society generally has little patience for those who don't.

Everyone knows countries where laws are treated more like suggestions. People who flout them without consequences even gain social status. I'm deeply grateful to live and work in Switzerland.

Whenever laws or rules come into play, three parties are involved: the state, its citizens, and businesses.

When all three work well together, society runs like a well-oiled machine. The state sets the guardrails, and within those boundaries, companies and individuals can move and thrive freely.

But over the past years—or decades, by now—those guardrails have turned into rigid, narrowly defined lanes. Freedom is shrinking rapidly, and the line between "fixed lane" and "guardrail" is blurring beyond recognition.

Today, so many aspects of our behavior are governed by laws, ordinances, or judicial precedent that citizens and entrepreneurs can barely keep track of what applies.

To me, this is overregulation.

Unfortunately, it permeates every aspect of life. I'm convinced no one in Switzerland can possibly know all the laws they must obey or what they even contain. Most people only learn the details when a fine arrives in the mail or an officer points out a violation.

Overregulation doesn't just affect private individuals. Swiss entrepreneurs are the driving force behind our prosperity. They take on enormous risks and often work tirelessly to turn their visions into reality.

Microbusinesses with fewer than ten employees dominate Switzerland's economy. The owners of these small firms must navigate not only the general rules of coexistence but also the intricacies of accounting, VAT, labor law, workplace safety, fire protection, occupational pensions, countless industry-specific standards, and tax regulations.

Let me be honest, speaking from experience: This is impossible. No one can master it all.

I'm not here to criticize the authorities—they do good work. In fact, we're in the same boat, and together, we're at risk of sinking under the weight of regulations.

My criticism is directed at overregulation itself.

So here's my appeal to all legislators: Have the courage to say no. And for once, make a name for yourselves by proposing the repeal of an outdated regulation. Then—and only then—will you become the true heroes of our time.