In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag paper published on Sunday, Parmelin said that he respected the decision of those who were holding out against getting vaccinated. However, he warned that individual freedom cannot encroach on the freedom of others.
“The question arises as to whether the majority of the population who wants to be vaccinated must bear the consequences because a minority does not want it,” he said.
When it comes to compulsory vaccination of medical staff, as is required in neighbouring Italy and France, Parmelin said that they should not be forced but convinced.
Limits to freedom
On the question of differentiating between those who were vaccinated and those who are not, Parmelin is supportive of private entities imposing vaccination requirements.
“My position is clear: as soon as everyone has had access to the vaccination, a host or festival organiser can decide for themselves to only admit vaccinated people. That is his decision, his entrepreneurial freedom,” he said.
Parmelin added that discussions on extending vaccination certificate requirements to other kinds of private venues, like restaurants and fitness centres, is worth having but it should not be “aggressive”. However, he was against footing the bill for testing the unvaccinated anymore.
“The vaccination is free. If I don’t get vaccinated, should the vaccinated taxpayer pay for my tests? For me the answer is clear: no,” he said.
Parmelin brushed off the large demonstrations across the country by vaccine skeptics, saying that there is always a small minority that does not believe in conventional medicine. However, he conceded that resistance was strong among this group and that such a belief could sometimes take on religious traits.
“We have to keep up the dialogue with these people. But everything has its limits: what I cannot accept is violence,” he said.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Switzerland launches national digital inclusion alliance
This content was published on
The Swiss government launched the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance on Thursday with the goal of giving as many people as possible access to digital services.
Thousands demonstrate against Covid-19 restrictions in Lucerne
This content was published on
A demonstration against the restrictions linked to the coronavirus saw several thousand people gather in central Swiss city of Lucerne.
Vaccine scepticism – a phenomenon in affluent societies
This content was published on
Some parents in Switzerland decide not to have their children vaccinated, which prevents the full eradication of certain diseases. Why?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.