Bonuses, tanks and climate: Parliament is now tackling these hot topics

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For many parliamentarians it means saying goodbye. The three-week autumn session of the National Council and the Council of States starts on Monday in Bern. It is the last session before the elections on October 22. 37 National Council members will then resign, and it is unlikely that some will be re-elected.

But before parliamentarians leave their desks, they have to roll up their sleeves again. Important topics are on the agenda for the next three weeks:

On the first day of the session, the dispute over future energy supplies entered a new round in the National Council. The federal law for a safe electricity supply with renewable energy sources – the so-called shell decree – is in the pipeline. The template is considered core business in the implementation of the energy transition. After hours of debate in both councils, the autumn session will focus on drawing up a proposal that will receive a majority. There are several differences in different fields. There is no compromise in sight yet on the question of whether solar panels should be installed in all new construction and major renovations. So far the National Council is in favor, the Council of States is against. There is also still discussion about residual water regulations.

What can be done to stop the explosion in health insurance premiums? Parliament is also considering this issue this session. The National Council and the Council of States are yet to clarify the final details for the counter-proposals against the SP’s premium reduction initiative and the Centre’s cost brake initiative. There is also a package of measures from the Federal Council on the table. For example, health insurers should be able to use the data of their policyholders to inform them individually about possible savings or more suitable care models. The Commission also wants to make alternative insurance models more attractive in the long term by allowing multi-year contracts and calculating premium discounts differently. From now on, pharmacists must also be able to declare various advisory and prevention activities under basic insurance.

In 2021, the new CO suffered₂-Law in the shipwreck of the ballot box – a painful defeat for the then Minister of Energy Simonetta Sommaruga (63). Now the Federal Council and Parliament are again trying to pass a law that can achieve a majority. Instead of punishments and bans, the new edition wants to focus more on incentives. The Federal Council does not want to increase existing taxes or introduce new ones. The Council of States will discuss the proposal for the first time in the autumn session. The responsible committee of the Council of States largely supports the proposal. By a narrow margin, it supports the Federal Council’s plan to achieve about two-thirds of emissions reductions domestically and about a third abroad.

The issue of arms exports is once again on Parliament’s minds this session. The Council of States is discussing a motion from its Security Policy Committee, which wants to allow the Federal Council to authorize the export of war materials in exceptional cases, contrary to the law. In addition, the Council of States, together with the army embassy, ​​will also decide on the dismantling of 25 decommissioned and stored Leopard 2 battle tanks. The National Council approved this decommissioning in June with the approval of the Federal Council and on the condition that the tanks are sold to the German manufacturer Rheinmetall. The committee of the Council of States wants to follow this decision. Germany is said to have assured the Bundesrat that it would not pass it on to Ukraine. The small room also says yes, but nothing has been sealed yet. The Federal Council has the final say on the actual sale of the tanks.

To protect children and young people from smoking, a ban on tobacco and e-cigarette advertising in print media is expected to come into effect in Switzerland from 2026. The Federal Council wants to implement the tobacco initiative adopted last year. The government also wants to ban the tobacco industry from sponsoring national events to which minors have access. The responsible committee of the Council of States wants to water down the proposal. Tobacco advertising should remain permitted in the indoor sections of newspapers and magazines aimed primarily at adults. The committee also wants to arrange the sponsorship of events in a similar way. (SDA/lha)

Source:Blick