Politicians are people representatives (in theory).
Consumers (if they are self aware and not bombarded with ads etc) could, again in theory, choose not to buy some device only because it is ecologically faulty but that's not very likely to happen.
Also consumers (or better to say people) could decide not to buy product that contain lead, mercury, cadmium but again that's not very likely to happen.
Government (or better to say politicians) should restrict or better to say protect us from our self. Same with smoking, same with drugs etc.
Here the point is not in you being able to change batteries than in need to save environment. Government is forcing you to dispose batteries in designated places, government is forcing manufacturers to create devices so you could easily take those batteries out.
Simple as that. Socialist or capitalist mean nothing here. Self preservation is the key word. Let's not pollute if we don't have to.