Parts of the bourgeoisie want to use money earmarked for renewable energies for nuclear power plants.Image: Claudio Thoma
A referendum on the free trade agreement with China, the final stretch of negotiations with the EU and the financial difficulties of the railway infrastructure fund: this and more can be found in the Sunday newspapers.
25.08.2024, 07:0725.08.2024, 10:13
Renewal of free trade agreements with China faces hurdles
A referendum is looming on the free trade agreement with China. Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin’s Department of Economic Affairs has already largely defined the direction of the negotiating mandate with China, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” reported in an information note from the department. In the revised free trade agreement, the framework conditions are to be “further improved where necessary so that cross-border trade with this important partner can be further liberalized.” Human rights aspects “related to economic activity” are to be part of the talks. The Greens announced a referendum if the agreement does not provide for binding regulations to protect human rights. “Le Matin Dimanche” also wrote this.
More on the topic:
Amherd wants to step on the gas with the EU agreement
Negotiations on an institutional agreement with the European Union are expected to result in an agreement by November. Federal President Viola Amherd is particularly pushing for speed, as “SonntagsBlick” learned from diplomatic circles. In parallel to the talks, she is using her direct line to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The EU is also saying that they are on the home stretch. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis supports his colleague’s goals, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs announced. According to the newspaper, the head of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport is also motivated by the fact that Karin Keller-Sutter will be Federal President next year. The Finance Minister is considered to be far more critical of the EU.
Too much spending: SBB infrastructure fund threatened with a hole
According to an SBB executive, the rail infrastructure fund is at risk of a structural deficit from 2028. Switzerland uses the fund to finance the operation, maintenance and expansion of the rail infrastructure, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote. The fund’s total expenditure is growing faster than its income, the executive wrote in an internal document that the newspaper had access to. From 2025, spending on expansion projects will rise significantly. If the situation continues, the rail infrastructure will become dilapidated. The document is a personal assessment, said an SBB spokesperson. The analysis and conclusions are incorrect.
Lötschberg renovation with further problems
Cracks in the new concrete and sulphurous water have caused further problems during the renovation of the Lötschberg summit tunnel. It is not yet possible to predict how serious the damage will be, a spokesman for the Bernese railway company BLS told “SonntagsBlick”. Since 2018, the ballast track has been replaced by a concrete track. The concrete in the north portal has cracks and crumbling on the surface over a length of 50 metres, the spokesman said. The cause is being investigated. The test is expected to be completed by October. Internal discussions are taking place as to who bears responsibility and whether damage due to the sulphurous water could have been foreseen, the newspaper wrote.
Cantons are against accepting UN refugees
All cantons have spoken out against the voluntary acceptance of resettlement refugees from the United Nations. “SonntagsBlick” gathered this from information on the last meeting of the Conference of Cantonal Social Directors (SODK). Switzerland has committed itself to accepting several hundred refugees in particular need of protection each year. At the moment, no canton is in a position to accept UN refugees in addition to the already great challenges in the asylum sector, said Gaby Szöllösy, Secretary General of the SODK. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed understanding. It assumes “that this is a temporary interruption”.
Intelligence service observes 47 threats
The Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) recently listed 47 names of potential threats on its risk list. In addition, the NDB has identified 43 new people within six months who are spreading jihadist ideas online from Switzerland or networking with like-minded people, as the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote. The number of cases in the area of terrorism has “increased significantly”, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced. At the last count, a hundred cases were pending. The increasing number of minors is pushing the cantons’ youth prosecutors’ offices to their limits. The NDB has already called for more employees in the past. However, the Federal Council wants to save one million francs at the NDB, as the latest financial plan shows.
Nuclear power supporters want to steal money from renewables
Supporters of new nuclear power plants want to tap into the renewable energy fund to build them. “There is no need for a new instrument for financing,” said FDP National Councillor Christian Wasserfallen (BE) to the “NZZ am Sonntag”. SVP President Marcel Dettling spoke out in favour of the federal government promoting all forms of energy equally. If new nuclear power plants are “more cost-effective and better for the landscape when viewed as a whole”, St. Gallen’s Centre National Councillor Nicolò Paganini also supports this. “What the conservatives are planning here is a blatant attack on renewable energies,” said GLP President Jürg Grossen. SP National Councillor Roger Nordmann (VD) agreed with this opinion.
New Nestlé President to stay
Nestlé President Paul Bulcke is said to have been skeptical of the group’s former boss, Mark Schneider, for some time. “We have grown into this situation,” Bulcke said in an interview with the “NZZ am Sonntag”. According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the origin was that Schneider liked to explain why Nestlé needed a new wind. As a former CEO, Bulke did not like to hear this. The crisis began in autumn 2023, wrote the “NZZ am Sonntag”. Due to their age, Bulcke and Schneider’s successor, Laurent Freixe, are unlikely to remain at the helm of the group for long, the newspapers wrote. “Interim solutions are never good,” Bulcke said when asked about this in the “NZZ am Sonntag”. For “SonntagsBlick” one thing is clear: “If success does not come soon, Bulcke will be the next to go.”
GDP per capita in Switzerland fell
Prosperity in Switzerland has fallen in relation to population growth. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita fell by 0.4 percent, the “SonntagsZeitung” wrote. The newspaper justified its calculation as follows: Switzerland’s permanent resident population increased by 1.7 percent. But at the same time, real GDP adjusted for inflation increased by 1.3 percent. GDP per capita shrank for the first time in a favorable economic phase. “We will have to get used to the fact that this also happens in good times when migration continues to be high,” said Mathias Binswanger, professor of economics at the Olten University of Applied Sciences.
SBB uses drones to hunt graffiti artists
The SBB transport police have been using drones to combat graffiti artists since July. The targets are people who enter railway premises at night, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. Graffiti causes millions of euros in damage every year. The Beehive video drone flies automatically and reacts to suspicious movements. For tactical reasons, the company did not want to give any further details. The transport police received a permit from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation for “drone operations outside of direct visual contact”. The video drone flies at a height of up to thirty meters. (sda/con)
This might also interest you:
It has been dark since Wednesday evening: Weltbild branches in the region – in Tägipark and Aarepark – are also affected by the company’s bankruptcy. That’s what neighboring shops and passers-by say.
It remains dark in the Weltbild branch in the Coop Tägipark in Wettingen on Thursday morning. The gate at the entrance is down and the Weltbild team addresses customers at the glass windows: “The store will remain closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
