{
  "id": 15344978,
  "title": "Laissez-faire is a thing of the past: The tendency towards the welfare state is also catching on in Switzerland",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/laisser-faire-war-einmal-der-hang-zum-wohlfahrtsstaat-erfasst-auch",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T03:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/laisser-faire-war-einmal-der-hang-zum-wohlfahrtsstaat-erfasst-auch-die-schweiz-ld.10033799"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The canton of Geneva in Switzerland has decided to provide free contraceptives, making it the first canton to do so, on September 27, 2026. This decision has sparked debate about the role of the state in providing services and the impact on personal responsibility. The author, Stefan Legge, a professor at the University of St. Gallen, argues that such decisions erode personal responsibility and may lead to inefficient use of resources. He suggests that the state's role should be limited to essential tasks such as security, justice, and education, and that citizens should be free to make their own choices.",
  "summary": "More and more citizens are demanding comprehensive care from the state. The Geneva decision in favour of free contraceptives shows how personal responsibility is being gradually undermined.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}