Zurich city parliament no longer wants to see advertising

There could soon be no more H&M advertising on Paradeplatz in Zurich. On Wednesday, the city parliament approved a proposal to ban advertising in public spaces. (archive picture)

Keystone

Zurich's cityscape could soon look completely different: On Wednesday, the city parliament passed an AL initiative calling for a ban on advertising in public spaces. According to the left-wing majority, advertising makes people unhappy and encourages consumption.

Keystone-SDA

19.03.2025, 19:25•19.03.2025, 21:17

The AL, Greens and SP voted in favor of a ban on commercial advertising. The conservatives were against it, criticizing the "classist and ideological" proposal in the strongest terms.

The city council was also against it, not least because of the 19 million francs that the city earns from advertising space each year. It must now draw up a bill for a ban against its will. The matter will then come before the council again.

The model for the Zurich advertising ban is the Geneva municipality of Vernier, where commercial advertising is already banned. The Federal Court supported the ban. It is a permissible encroachment on economic freedom.