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.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
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.