2024-03-23 10:46:22
– The SVP Switzerland does not want energy reform or reduction in premiums
The party spoke out against the objects of the June 9 vote. Its president also criticized the billions of francs for asylum and development aid.
Published today at 11:46 a.m. Updated 50 minutes ago
Federal councilors Guy Parmelin, left, and Albert Rösti were at the delegate assembly of the SVP Switzerland, Saturday March 23, 2024, in Langenthal.
KEYSTONE/Peter Schneider
“The state is becoming more and more voracious,” said outgoing UDC president Marco Chiesa to his party delegates, gathered at an assembly in Langenthal on Saturday. If the State costs more and more, citizens will have less and less money in their pockets.
According to Marco Chiesa, the other parties waste billions of francs on asylum or development aid. The outgoing president then launched barbs against the European Union. “We must not sign with the EU,” noted the Ticino resident.
And he continued: “The state is committing to new spending, which leads to new debts and higher taxes. The UDC will not give its approval. “We want the people of this country to have more money to live on, but not the federal Bern,” continued the politician.
Marco Chiesa in Langenthal on March 23, 2023.
KEYSTONE/Peter Schneider
No to energy reform
The Swiss SVP says no to the energy reform, submitted to the people on June 9. The delegates spoke out against the position of their federal councilor, Albert Rösti, who came to defend the legislative package.
An electricity shortage remains a major risk for the country, said Federal Councilor Albert Rösti. It is important that Switzerland can increase its electricity production, this is the only way for the country to strengthen its sovereignty, he continued.
To skeptics in his own ranks, he promised that the law would not allow Switzerland to be covered with wind and solar power plants. Areas will be created where such expansion will be possible.
On the other hand, if the law is rejected, applications for such installations could be filed everywhere. The law therefore also channels. In addition, projects can only be carried out if the municipalities concerned agree, underlined the Minister of Energy. The law allows investments, particularly in the Alpine regions.
Lots of facilities for little electricity
Solar and wind energy do not provide a secure electricity supply, retorted national councilor and party vice-president Magdalena Martullo-Blocher. It’s not just a few wind turbines and solar installations. Instead, 9,000 wind turbines and solar installations with an area five times the size of Lake Zurich would be needed.
During a lively debate, many critics and supporters of the project spoke out. UDC federal councilor Guy Parmelin, for example, stressed that the law was the only alternative to reduce dependence on foreign countries and the risk of electricity shortages.
Many detractors fear a degradation of landscapes and a loss of autonomy of municipalities. Highly populated cities would do very little for electricity generation. Once again, it is mainly in the countryside that this is happening, said Zurich MP Domenik Ledergerber. “I don’t want my country to be disfigured for this,” he said.
Former Bernese national councilor Adrian Amstutz also joined in the oratorical battle: “With a no, we are not just going to build a new nuclear power plant tomorrow.” In the meantime, measures such as those provided for in the energy law reform are necessary.
The party leadership had recommended delegates to vote no. Many members of the Federal Chambers spoke in favor of yes. Ultimately, delegates decided to vote no by 242 votes to 149 with six abstentions. A free-voting proposal had had no chance before.
No to the PS “premium reduction initiative”
On Saturday, the Swiss SVP delegates also said no to the initiative of the Socialist Party (PS) on reducing bonuses. The text, also put to the vote on June 9, recommends that policyholders not spend more than 10% of their income to pay health insurance premiums. If this limit is exceeded, the Confederation and the cantons should intervene by reducing the premiums, the Confederation by at least two thirds.
The UDC has long sounded the alarm about the loss of purchasing power and has fought tirelessly against a tax policy which reduces the purchasing power of the population, declared the Geneva national councilor and vice-president. president of the UDC Céline Amaudruz.
The PS initiative is “one more false good idea”, which is added to the long list of new taxes for the middle class. The proposal, attractive at first glance, will lead to hidden costs, job losses and price increases, she continued.
The party’s steering committee recommended delegates to vote no. The base of the UDC clearly followed this proposal by 321 votes to 9.
Center initiative “For lower premiums” either
Like that of the PS, the Center’s initiative “For lower bonuses” did not find favor in the eyes of the UDC delegates on Saturday. The party base decided to say no to the text, put to the vote on June 9.
With this proposal from the Center, the Confederation and the cantons are encouraged to take measures, in concert with stakeholders in the health system, when health costs increase too sharply in relation to the evolution of salaries. This would be the case if the growth in costs per insured person was one-fifth higher than the development in nominal wages.
“Who doesn’t want lower health insurance premiums, a curb on health care costs?” asked St. Gallen State Councilor Esther Friedli (UDC). But on closer inspection, the demand turns out to be bad, according to her.
The initiative says absolutely nothing about how to curb costs and the consequences that would follow. In the worst case, the initiative would lead to rationing of the health system, continued the St. Galloise.
Unlike the initiative, the indirect counter-project integrates cost and quality objectives into compulsory health insurance. This should make it possible to stop the evolution of costs, assesses the politician. In addition, not only wage developments must be taken into account, but also demographic developments and technological progress. Delegates decided to recommend no by 329 votes to 11 with 3 abstentions.
The assembly of delegates being already busy, the party committee decided on its own to recommend yes to the fourth object of the vote of June 9, the initiative “For freedom and physical integrity”, launched in the context of Covid-19 by the Swiss Freedom Movement, and which intends to exclude any vaccination obligation.
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