瑞士公投否決基本收入提議

The Swiss have voted decisively against state-provided unconditional “basic incomes” in a setback for a growing international lobby that argues such radical schemes are needed to overhaul inefficient welfare systems.

瑞士人在全民公投中高票否決由國家提供無條件“基本收入”的建議，這對一個聲音越來越響亮的國際遊說陣營是一個挫折；這個陣營主張，當今社會需要用這樣的激進計劃來改革效率低下的福利制度。

Just 23 per cent in a referendum on Sunday favoured the idea of minimum incomes, regardless of the recipients’ wealth or whether they work.d.

在週日舉行的全民公投中，僅23%的瑞士人贊成這種保障最低收入（不論接收者的財富多少，也不論他們是否工作）的想法。

Supporters said the vote was stronger than they had expected, however. “This is a beginning,” said Che Wagner, campaign spokesman. Winning the backing of nearly one in four voters was “absolutely great . . . Especially, young voters want the discussion to continue”.

不過，支持者們表示，投票結果仍超過他們的預期。“這是一個開端，”提倡基本收入運動的發言人切•瓦格納(Che Wagner)表示。獲得近四分之一選民的支持“絕對很棒……尤其是年輕選民希望相關討論繼續進行”。

The goal of the campaign had been to “educate” people in Switzerland and elsewhere about basic incomes, said Karl Widerquist, co-chairman of the Basic Income Earth Network. “In terms of getting it on the agenda, it is a great success.”

基本收入地球網絡(Basic Income Earth Network)的聯合主席卡爾•懷德克斯特(Karl Widerquist)表示，這個宣傳活動的目標是“教育”瑞士乃至其他國家的人們關於基本收入的理念。“就把這件事提上議事日程而言，這是一個巨大的成功。”

Sunday’s referendum was closely watched internationally. As one of the world’s most affluent economies, Switzerland could arguably have afforded unconditional basic incomes more easily than other countries. The country requires just 100,000 signatures for an idea to be put to a referendum.

週日的瑞士公投在國際間受到密切關注。作爲世界上最富裕的經濟體之一，瑞士可以說比其他國家更有能力提供無條件基本收入。在這個國家，只需要獲得10萬簽名就能讓一個想法付諸全民公投。

However, Swiss employment rates are high — and the strong franc rather than technological change is seen as the bigger threat to local jobs. “People didn’t see a need for such a radical, dramatic experiment,” said Daniel Kalt, chief economist in Switzerland at UBS.

然而，瑞士的就業率很高，而且，比起技術變革，強勁的瑞郎被視爲當地就業面臨的更大威脅。“人們看不出這樣一個激進的、劇烈的實驗有什麼必要，”瑞銀(UBS)的瑞士首席經濟學家丹尼爾•卡爾特(Daniel Kalt)表示。

The Swiss government strongly opposed the idea — on cost as well as practical grounds. It estimated a basic income of SFr2,500 ($2,560) per adult a month would have cost three times as much as current annual federal government spending of SFr67bn a year.

瑞士政府強烈反對這個想法——基於成本以及現實理由。其估計，向每個成年人每月發放2500瑞郎（合2560美元）的基本收入，成本將是目前聯邦政府年度支出（670億瑞郎）的三倍。

Even then, it would not have replaced all existing social services, such as healthcare for the elderly.

即便如此，基本收入也不會取代所有現有的社會服務，如面向老年人的醫療保障。

Once the preserve of radical economists, the idea of governments providing basic incomes has moved into the political mainstream in recent years. Backers argue it could help manage the social disruption caused by rapid technological change, allow people to pursue what they really want to do, and get rid of the complexity of existing benefit systems.

由政府提供基本收入的想法一度僅限於激進經濟學家的理論範疇，但近年已進入政治主流。支持者提出，它可能有助於管理快速技術變革所引起的社會混亂，讓人們去追求他們真正想做的事，同時一舉掃除現有福利制度的複雜性。

In Brazil, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands and India, local and national governments are experimenting with the idea of introducing some form of basic income.

在巴西、加拿大、芬蘭、荷蘭和印度，地方和中央政府都在試驗某種形式的基本收入。

However, the idea also attracts criticism, with opponents arguing recipients would lose the motivation to work.

然而，這個想法也招致批評，反對者辯稱，基本收入將讓接收者失去工作動力。