The SVP denounces “a poison for our economy”
The agrarian party on Tuesday launched a referendum against the indirect counter-proposal to the glacier initiative.
SVP President Marco Chiesa (centre) was accompanied by national councilors Pierre-André Page (FR), Michael Graber (VS), Christian Imark (SO) and Monika Rüegger (SO) (from right to left) to launch the referendum.
KEYSTONE/PETER SCHNEIDER
The SVP officially launched the referendum on Tuesday against the indirect counter-project to the glacier initiative. On this occasion, the party reiterated that this text is dangerous and will aggravate the current energy crisis.
The indirect counter-project is “a poison for our economy, for our prosperity and a scourge for all the inhabitants of Switzerland”, indicated the president of the SVP Marco Chiesa in front of the media in Bern.
The SVP has until January 19, 2023 to collect the necessary 50,000 signatures, according to indications published Tuesday in the Federal Gazette. The party had already announced its intention to launch the referendum after the final adoption of the text during the autumn session.
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the latter provides support programs for the replacement of polluting heating systems, the energy sanitation of buildings and the encouragement of innovation in companies. It was completed with a solar offensive which will facilitate the construction of large alpine solar parks and will oblige new large constructions to be equipped with solar panels.
Misleading title
The UDC denounces the misleading title of the “federal law on the objectives of climate protection, innovation and the strengthening of energy security” which endorses the objective of “net zero carbon” by 2050.
“As things stand, this is only possible if fossil fuels such as fuel oil, petrol, diesel and gas are banned,” said National Councilor and Referendum Committee Chairman Michael Graber ( VS). Heating and driving would only be possible with electricity. And to note that decarbonization by 2050 would require twice as much electricity as today.
The UDC denounces the misleading title of the “federal law on the objectives of climate protection, innovation and the strengthening of energy security” which endorses the objective of “net zero carbon” by 2050.
KEYSTONE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT
This will only accentuate the current energy crisis and explode the prices of electricity and by extension those of everyday products, underlines the UDC. Today, the priority is not decarbonisation but the security of electricity supply, added National Councilor Pierre-André Page (FR).
National Councilor Christian Imark (SO), for his part, recalled the “false promises” made to the people during the adoption of the Energy Strategy 2050, which the SVP had unsuccessfully fought against by referendum in 2017. The supporters had in particular argued that electricity production from existing nuclear power plants could be replaced by renewable energy within six years. “We are miles away from it,” he said.
“A plague on democracy”
For Marco Chiesa, the law is also a “scourge on the democratic level”. It gives “a general power of attorney” to the Federal Council, which can impose measures on its own initiative, such as the obligation to install solar panels or renovate one’s house at its own expense. The law thus favors “ecological dictatorship”, according to the president of the UDC. In view of the gravity of the situation, the people must speak out, he concludes.
The initiators, who withdrew their text conditionally, reject these accusations. The Federal Council will in no way obtain full powers. And to accuse the UDC of spreading fake news even before the launch of the campaign.
The referendum committee is made up almost exclusively of members of the UDC parliamentary group. The director of the Swiss Union of Arts and Crafts Hans-Ulrich Bigler and the president of the Swiss Association of Landowners Hans Egloff are also part of the co-presidency. The SVP however specified that the associations themselves will only position themselves once the referendum has been completed. Michael Graber said he received positive signals from the PLR.
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