The case around the Vice President of the European Parliament uses all the sensory elements of the human search for sensation, voyeurism, gloating and disgust. Lubricated by the Arab state, the luxury-obsessed politician is not ashamed to publicly turn his crimes into a hymn to human development and the transformative power of football. An elderly Italian puppeteer who pulls all the strings. A seduced idealist who repents of his crimes and blames his beloved for everything. A prosecutor who sees politics as irrevocably corrupt and writes thrillers in his spare time – the horror effect of some of the characters in this scandal hardly exceeds the quality of a low-quality ghost train booth show. Further props typical of the genre: suitcases with cash, expensive real estate, exclusive weekend trips – the scandal fits the characteristics of a cheap gang.
Scandals follow a pattern
Every corruption scandal follows a certain pattern. Not only the characters are fixed, but also the order of actions. The revelation of immoral machinations is accompanied by general indignation. Polluted institutions must be cleansed by the purgatory of public resentment. Depraved customs require from the righteous a firm intention to continue the path of virtue.
The court convenes and the verdict is pronounced. The guilty will be punished. The need for revenge is satisfied. Scandal forgotten. It was painful, but healing in its effect. Society is aware of its danger. Corruption threatens the just order. Now we pay attention again.
The scandal affects the European Parliament, but its healing effect is especially strong in Switzerland. Haven’t we always known how rotten and corrupt the EU is? How good that we recognized it, how good that we are not members of this depraved association! No, there would never have been such a scandal in Switzerland. But not because customs are still preserved in this country, no, in the Confederation, economic influence is part of the political system.
The formation of public opinion in Switzerland is influenced by
In June 2021, voters rejected the SO.2– the law is off. The successful “No” campaign was co-financed by the oil industry. Oil multinationals BP, Shell and Socar have already pooled money to collect signatures. This is not a secret and not a scandal, it is well known and accepted. The country’s highest authority, the Bundesrat, confirmed in writing that the policy could be bought. In response to a parliamentary question, the state government replied that there are no restrictions or rules on disclosure of funding in the Swiss legal system. Thus, “according to the current legal situation, multinational companies are also free to financially support political campaigns.” “Companies and people from abroad should not be allowed to financially support referendums and campaigns and thus try to influence the opinion of the Swiss electorate.”
A bitter diagnosis, but not a problem for the government. Arguments from the Federal Council? Calms down first. The influence of money on political decisions “cannot be overestimated”, he doubts “that financial means in our political system have a predominant influence on the results of elections and voting.”
Suddenly money should not play a role in Switzerland? Does the Federal Council think its population is immune from corruption? Of course not. There is a risk that the functioning of our direct democracy will be disrupted by foreign funding, but it is “limited”.
Corruption is part of the system
The Federal Council does not explain how this restriction arises. But he explains why he opposes the Transparency Initiative, which called for campaign finance disclosure. Transparency is “hardly compatible with the peculiarities of the Swiss political system, or with direct democracy and the Swiss militia system.” If this corruption is part of the system, it does not need to be fought. Thus, the Federal Council does not intend to “make laws on this matter”.
From the outside, this attitude may seem far-fetched. But the government is not alone in this. The majority of the State Political Commission of the Council of States came to the same conclusion in October last year. Interest commitments are not only part of the parliamentary mandate, no, they are expressly desirable. Only then did the members of the council have “practical knowledge that they could not have acquired otherwise.” It is untimely to adopt a corresponding parliamentary initiative and disclose the payment for the so-called secondary mandates of deputies. In the first place, no conclusions could be drawn from this about the independence of the members of the council, and besides, it would satisfy only “some curiosity.”
A certain curiosity: anyone in Switzerland who wants to know where the money comes from in politics is considered a voyeur, frivolous and indiscreet. And unlike in the EU, where people are worried about bought votes, golden throats in this country sing the songs of their donors, such as the National Council in Geneva, without any load. He said he had to protect the Azerbaijani oil company Socar from attacks. The company was promoting aggressive war against Armenia. It was good with him. It is the left that wants to destroy any economic success. The National Council is the board of directors of Geneva Airport, the central infrastructure of which is handled by SOCAR. He is not required to disclose the amount of compensation paid to the National Council. It is only known how he finds criticism of Socar, namely “cheap”.
With the next legislature, Switzerland will still get a law on transparency. So everything is fine? Unfortunately no. First, this law is full of holes, like cheese. The premiums are high enough that the desired influence or, if you like, corruption is still possible. And secondly, the prosecution of this new crime is unlikely to be possible. At least that’s what the government thinks. The Federal Council also justified its rejection of the proposal by saying that “it would be difficult to prevent circumvention of any ordinance”. You don’t know whether to hear humility or relief in him. Scandal in any case should not be feared in the future.
Lukas Berfuss
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
