The coronavirus crisis has given too much preponderance to the Federal Council and the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), says UDC President Albert Rösti. The “absolute power” of the federal executive must end immediately, he says.
“The right of emergency must be lifted,” said Rösti in an interview published Friday by the German newspaper Blick. The Bernese national councilor welcomes the return of the parliament after its suspension due to the restrictive measures. “This is a good thing”.
“But the Parliament is going in the wrong direction,” said the president of the SVP, stressing that the federal chambers have even offered to pay more money for special interests than what the Federal Council had asked. He cites as an example the problem of crèches, which could have been left to the cantons.
A return to federalism is necessary, continues Mr. Rösti. In the event of a second wave of the pandemic, “the cantons must have more room for maneuver in the choice of the measures they wish to take”. “We cannot tolerate a second confinement of all of Switzerland,” he said.
An intact economy is a prerequisite for a healthy population, for the Bernese. “The protective measures taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus were important and correct. But they must be chosen in such a way that the economy can continue to function.”
The UDC also calls for the continuation of border entry controls and restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus crisis. Since the introduction of these measures, the number of illegal stays noted by the authorities has decreased from 55 to 80%, the party said in a statement released on Friday.
