class=”sc-29f61514-0 kHgAwW”>
Ironically Beni Würth (55). The Central Council of States of St. Gallen was once the highest representative of all cantons. And it is he who is now antagonizing the cantons. With a decision they diplomatically and politely describe as “problematic” – while things were brewing behind the scenes.
What happened? After a short debate, the States Council took an explosive decision on Wednesday: it does not want the federal government to be able to build container villages for refugees on army sites – and refuses the accompanying loan of 132 million francs.
The Confederation, cantons and municipalities are appalled: they have been confronted with increasing numbers of refugees for months; all three levels have been desperate for housing for months. The creation of 3,000 reserve seats at the federal level would alleviate the problem.
But the Council of States is not happy that the federal government has submitted the application for the loan in the short term. And also not because these reserve places can be created without the local population having anything to say about it. Such an approach is only possible if the existing housing is insufficient, argues Würth. But with the civil defense systems, the federal government would have unused accommodations at its disposal.
Unexpected decision
The bourgeois majority of the States Council followed this reasoning and caused unrest in the cantons and municipalities. “I was very surprised that the Council of States said no,” says Jörg Kündig (63), FDP politician and vice president of the Association of Municipalities. “The councils of states should really represent the interests of the cantons – in this case they did the opposite. The cantons would be happy if the federal government created more space for asylum seekers when the number of cases is high.”
Because when the federal accommodation is full, the refugees are pre-allocated to the cantons – and they pass them on to the municipalities. It is of course unknown how many refugees will arrive. But if the federal government’s “high scenario” of 35,000 asylum seekers became a reality, Kündig said communities would have a problem: “We simply don’t have enough space to accommodate everyone. The communities are already on the attack today.”
Inappropriate alternatives
It sounds similar from the cantons. If the cantons had to take in many refugees from the federal government early, “this would be the last straw,” says Karin Kayser-Frutchi, 56, co-chair of the cantonal directors of justice and police (KKJPD). “I would like the state councilors to consult with us before they consider the matter again on Tuesday,” said the center government councilor from Nidwalden.
According to the representative of the Kündig community, the Council of States’ proposal to house the refugees in civil protection facilities is unsuitable. The municipalities needed the systems themselves. In addition, the majority of persons seeking protection remain in Switzerland for a longer period of time. But, says Kündig, “We can’t put people in civil protection systems for two years.”
Whether these arguments fall on the ears of the Council of States will become clear on Tuesday. Beni Würth is not very willing to compromise: “I assume that the Council of States will stick to its position,” he says. But if the canton representatives actually ignore the will of the cantons, much more goes wrong than just the house blessing.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
