Blocher doesn’t want a CS merger, he prefers a foreign takeover – that’s the Sunday news

Next Sunday there will be a decisive meeting with the Bundesrat in the Credit Suisse case. Later, the public should be informed, as “SonntasgBlick” writes. The preferred scenario of the regulators is a merger of the two large banks CS and UBS. The so-called Plan A should halt the total collapse of investor confidence in Credit Suisse, writes the British financial newspaper. A collapse of CS as one of the 30 globally systemically important banks would set off a chain reaction that can no longer be controlled. At the end of this week, a possible emergency merger with UBS was already indicated. The CHF 50 billion liquidity support from the National Bank announced on Wednesday evening only provided temporary relief. Credit Suisse shares fell sharply again on Friday. At the end of the stock market, a share cost 1.86 francs – eight percent minus.

Former SVP federal councilor Christoph Blocher described a potential merger of major banks Credit Suisse (CS) and UBS as a “bad thing” for the Swiss workshop. In the long run, this would also be a problem for bank customers, the 82-year-old industrialist said in an interview with the “SonntagsBlick” published online Saturday. There are deals that internationally active Swiss companies can only close with a large bank, in Switzerland with UBS or CS, according to the billionaire and former EMS chemical manager Blocher. “When there is no competition, the companies are at the mercy of the single bank.” If there was only one big bank, there would be no competition. Blocher did not categorically reject a takeover of the ailing Credit Suisse by a foreign bank.

After the rescue of Credit Suisse by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), middle president Gerhard Pfister wants to strengthen financial market regulator Finma “if necessary”. “We need to see if they should be given the option to hand out fines,” said Pfister. However, he does not want to change the rules for systemically important banks that were decided after the financial crisis. “The entrepreneurial responsibility for stabilizing CS now lies with CEO Ulrich Körner,” Pfister said in an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung”. He relies on the CS leadership around Körner and Chairman of the Board of Directors Axel Lehmann. “I have the impression that the current management is doing everything they can to save the bank.” FDP president Thierry Burkart also wants to check the “regulatory effectiveness” of the banks, as he said in an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung”.

On July 1, Henrique Schneider succeeds Hans-Ulrich Bigler as head of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV). But now research by “NZZ am Sonntag” must show: Schneider has greatly embellished his resume and he is urgently suspected of plagiarism. For example, the author information of his publications contains scientific titles or references to studies that are not applicable. For example, Schneider claims that he studied economics in Switzerland, China and the US, but there is no evidence for this. When questioned, Schneider eventually admitted that he had no academic degrees. The only exception is the professorship he was awarded at a private technical college in northern Germany. A report by the Austrian plagiarism researcher Stefan Weber commissioned by the “NZZ am Sonntag” also casts a critical light on Schneider’s extensive publishing activities.

About 13,000 people in Switzerland receive comprehensive help, including people with trisomy 21 or mental health problems, because they are particularly needy. They are not allowed to choose or vote. While Article 136 of the Federal Constitution states that all Swiss adults have the same political rights, this does not apply to those who are incapacitated for work due to “mental illness or mental infirmity”. In doing so, Switzerland violates the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which it is a signatory to, says Professor of Constitutional Law Markus Schefer, who sits on the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as quoted by the “NZZ am Sonntag “. “People with disabilities must finally be recognized as full members of society,” the Basel resident demands. This also includes participation in political life. So far, Geneva is the only canton where people with disabilities under guardianship can choose, vote and be elected.

The first high schools plan to reduce or eliminate homework. The burden is too great. The measure is controversial. Stefan Wolter, director of the Swiss coordination center for educational research, said in the “SonntagsZeitung”: “If you cut homework in secondary schools, it is an insult to all students – they are much more stressed.” Specifically, students would have a weekly workload of about 42 hours with work and school, and high school students would have 26 hours of instruction. In addition, there are 13 to 14 weeks of vacation for the Gymeler, students only have 5 weeks. Konrad Kuoni, president of the Zurich Association of Teachers in Vocational Training, says: “Cancel homework? It’s a joke.” This increases the disparity between high school and vocational students.

The US and Russia are trying to influence Switzerland. First, US ambassador Scott Miller, in an interview in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, called for more action in the fight against the war in Ukraine at the initiative of Russia. Switzerland should allow the re-export of arms regardless of its neutrality. Now Russian Ambassador Sergei Garmonin is striking back. He accuses the US of blackmailing Switzerland. He finds it “inappropriate” for the US ambassador to Switzerland to “publicly lecture or even accuse his foreign policy of being inconsistent with Washington’s ideas.” The Russian ambassador is also convinced that several Swiss politicians are just as critical of American interference as he is. In particular, he interpreted Federal President Alain Berset’s controversial statement that certain circles were “at war” as a criticism of the Americans and their allies. Garmonin said, “One can only agree with Berset’s statement.”

The city of Lucerne has imposed restrictions on Airbnb and Co. In the future, apartments may not be rented out via such platforms for more than 90 days per year. Now the SP wants to work in Basel and Zurich. The Lucerne Airbnb model is also being introduced on the Rhine and the Limmat. And the SP is also becoming active in Bundesbern: this week, SP national councilor Prisca Birrer-Heimo submitted an interpellation, writes “SonntagsBlick”. She calls for framework conditions for the whole of Switzerland that enable the municipalities to use Airbnb and Co. to be regulated according to local needs. Birrer-Heimo wants to know from the state government how to act against providers and platforms that do not comply with municipal or cantonal rules.

For human medicine, 1780 million francs are available to the universities every year. However, as figures from the Federal Bureau of Statistics (BFS) show, only 20 percent actually flow into the training of future doctors. The much larger part, almost 70 percent, is used for research. Beat Sottas, former head of the education policy department at the Federal Office of Health and now an independent consultant, criticized this in the “SonntagsZeitung”: “We urgently need general practitioners, but we are training medical researchers instead.” If it is up to him, the practical training should receive significantly more money. Various large, but also smaller general practices would be willing to step into the breach.

Employees are asking for part-time work – and increasingly men with children. According to the Federal Statistical Office, almost every fifth man in Switzerland works part-time. This number has more than doubled since 1991, especially among fathers. Today, 13 percent of all 15-64-year-old men with children work less than 90 percent – six times more than in 1991. Employers are also involved, writes the “SonntagsZeitung”. According to the data company x28 AG, the share of 60 percent vacancies across Switzerland was 14 percent. In 2019, it was nine percent. Healthcare companies and retailers in particular try to attract more candidates in this way. Simon Wey, chief economist at the Swiss employers’ association, sees the trend as positive: “If fathers work part-time and mothers increase their workload, we win economically.”

A new university institute for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has started in Bad Zurzach AG. The “Swiss TCM Uni” is the first of its kind in Europe and was accredited by the federal government last year. The aim of the operators is that in the future the TCM master will have the same status as the classic medical master at federal level. For the time being, however, efforts are being made to recognize the bachelor’s degree as equivalent to the federal diploma for TCM naturopaths. According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the Swiss TCM scene is concerned about the new university. The Chinese side had previously unsuccessfully demanded that TCM courses in China be given the same status as Swiss medical studies. There is a fear that the Swiss TCM Uni will now open a back door for this.

The cantons should assure the Bundesrat of their clear support for the EU dossier. They believe that the hurdles that caused the cantons to oppose the previous draft framework agreement can be overcome. They have presented a corresponding study, as reported by “Le Matin Dimanche”. The new position paper will be discussed at the plenary session of the Conference of Health Directors (GDK) on Friday in Zurich. According to FDP party leader Damien Cottier, such an impulse would be an important signal. “The support of the cantons is fundamental, they are an important player in this file,” said Neuchâtel, recalling that negotiations on the 2021 framework agreement had broken down, in part because of their lack of support. (sda)