Olivier Kessler is an economist, publicist and director of the Liberal Institute in Zurich. Previously, he worked for several public affairs, media and finance companies. Olivier studied International Affairs & Governance at the University of St. Gallen.
In 2017-18 he led the campaign for the liberal “No Billag” initiative in Switzerland as the president of the association for the abolition of compulsory media tax. He is a member of the Friedrich A. von Hayek Society and the jury for the Roland Baader Award.
The Liberales Institut is Switzerland’s classical liberal think tank, and he has directed it since 2020 after several years as deputy director, publishing on federalism, tax competition and the size of the federal administration.
The No Billag campaign made him nationally known. The initiative to abolish the compulsory broadcasting fee was rejected decisively in March 2018, but it forced an argument about state media into a national vote, which is the Swiss version of the point this movement keeps making: a decision only counts as consent when refusing it is on the ballot.