Election poster controversy: will this weapon be the undoing of the SVP of St. Gall?

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

The election campaign for the canton council really starts in St. Gallen. The first posters have been up two months before the vote. But that’s exactly what’s causing a stir now — and at least some of it is creating extra work for the SVP.

The reason is the coat of arms of St. Gall, which is visible on some SVP election posters. The cantonal coat of arms of St. Gallen is reserved for the canton, the State Chancellery writes in response to a Blick question. If the canton’s coat of arms is used in this form on an election poster, this is not permitted. “The Ministry of the Interior will have the specific information checked by its legal service and, in case of violations, will inform the SVP of the canton of this fact.” If the test is confirmed, the SVP will have to replace the affected posters.

Section withdraws

The SVP of the canton of St. Gallen refers to the regional branch Wil. It used its own templates, says director Lukas Huber (24). The cantonal department is only responsible for the posters for the government council elections. There the weapon is used in a different form; the canton also has permission for this.

Bruno Dudli (51) from SVP Wil says he has not yet been contacted by the canton. “We have used the subject several times and there have been no problems.” He fears no consequences. “It is about the cantonal elections in the canton of St. Gallen. Should we print the coat of arms of the Principality of Liechtenstein there?” he asks ironically. If SVP Wil had to replace the posters, it would entail a lot of financial effort – but above all “a lot of work”. The posters would be hung by the candidates and helpers. That takes time.

The SVP’s problem: the canton’s logo may be used, but only if it has another border, for example a flag or a rectangular border. But on the posters in question it was depicted as a weapon. That is prohibited.

Not the first case

It is not the first time that there have been problems with coats of arms. The Swiss Cross is also protected in the Arms Protection Act. For example, more than a year and a half ago, the Brasserie Federal in Zurich’s central station had to be replaced by a flag. But coats of arms have also appeared on flyers during voting campaigns or as election propaganda.

As a rule, the government turns a blind eye if someone uses a weapon illegally – as long as the logo or lettering is quickly changed. The SVP St. Gallen can also hope to get away with a black eye. (brother)

Source:Blick