Gaps in transparency: political donations from Zurich airport are under investigation

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Zurich Airport has been donating money to cantonal parties for years. As FDP government councilor Carmen Walker Späh (65) said in the cantonal council on Monday, this practice is now at least being discussed and reconsidered.

Parties with more than 15 seats on the cantonal council received 40,000 francs per year, smaller ones 20,000 francs, Walker Späh quoted from Flughafen Zürich AG’s response to an urgent interpellation from the cantonal council.

Is the airport transparent enough?

In election years, the amount was doubled. This takes into account parties that are committed to a “competitive” airport. David Galeuchet (52) of the Greens, SP member Roland Kappeler (65) and Anne-Claude Hensch Frei of the AL wanted to know from the government council whether he accepted donations himself and what he thought about the donations.

Walker Späh assured that the remuneration of its board of directors would go to the state treasury. The governing council was not aware of specific donations to parties, but was aware of the practice. The canton is the largest minority shareholder in the AG.

The airport made the practice transparent, Walker Späh quoted from the reply. This can be read in the publicly accessible Code of Conduct or in the annual report.

Politicians smell favoritism

The morning-long discussion was heated at times. Urs Dietschi (69) of the Greens spoke of a “friendship economy” and that the donations were “not dissimilar to mafia behaviour”.

Galeuchet, like several left-wing representatives, consistently called the donations “bribes” in his response. He complained that it was not answered which parties had accepted money.

André Müller (FDP, Uitikon) answered on behalf of his party. The FDP has received an average of CHF 50,000 per year for the past six years. His party has always supported the airport, the donations would not affect this position.

The SVP is silent about donations

Despite multiple requests, the SVP did not disclose whether they had received any money from the airport. Domenik Ledergerber (SVP, Herrliberg) accused the left parties of campaigning against the airport. It should also be transparently stated how much money the protection organizations would receive from the communities.

His fellow party member Bernhard in Oberdorf (Zürich) asked whether the allegations of bribery and corruption were criminally relevant.

Several speakers argued for more transparency in party donations. Sibylle Marti (SP, Zurich) spoke of “pseudo-transparency” because the business community does not state which parties received how much money. “Democracy needs transparency,” said Hanspeter Hugentobler (EPP, Pfäffikon). He emphasized that all politicians would be in glass houses.

Parliamentary initiative pending

The interpellation discussed on Monday goes back to an article in the “Tages-Anzeiger”. He had reported that Flughafen Zürich AG was donating money to “well-meaning” parties. The EVP had refunded the money. A parliamentary initiative on transparency of party donations is still pending.

The cantonal council will soon vote on the extension of the airport’s runway. According to the airport, this is for security purposes. Left parties fear capacity expansion. (SDA/sq)

Source:Blick