the Swiss Insurance Association (ASA) held its 90th general meeting on Monday at the Vaudoise headquarters in Lausanne. In his speech, President Rolf Dörig pleaded the cause of a pool for pandemics involving public authorities and private insurers.
Dörig stressed ‘the potential and resilience of the insurance industry’ in the face of the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. “Even during the crisis, insurers paid nearly 139 million francs a day to their customers to reimburse damages or annuities,” said the man who also incidentally chairs the board of directors of Swiss Life and up to recently that of Adecco.
According to the ASA, the sector has contributed ‘significantly’ to the solvency of companies, and finds itself well positioned due to its defensive investment policy. “It confirmed its effectiveness during the coronavirus crisis,” said the president of the ASA, quoted in a press release.
On the other hand, he rebelled against ‘the retroactive interference of the legislator in private law contracts’, in reference to the initiatives of the political world relating to the rents of commercial premises forced to close during confinement. According to him, these would be ‘contrary to the guarantee of property’ and would go ‘against legal certainty’.
“A pandemic is not insurable by the private sector alone,” said the president of the ASA, stressing that a grouping between private insurers and the State is currently being studied in various countries. It drew a parallel with other ‘proven forms of collaboration’ between the Confederation and the private sector, such as the prevention and insurance of natural damage.
Delegates from member companies have appointed two new members to the steering committee. Thomas Boyer, new CEO of the Mutuel group succeeds Paul Rabaglia, while Jean-Daniel Laffely, who has taken over the reins of Vaudoise Assurances, succeeds Philippe Hebeisen.
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