More for farmers, less for asylum seekers: a last-minute trick saves the budget

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Imagine strolling through the Christmas market with a ten dollar bill. A mulled wine here, a gingerbread there. The ten francs will be gone quickly. You really shouldn’t spend any more now, but there is your neighbor’s stall selling wooden Christmas angels for the Christmas tree. “That’s his income,” you think and buy one. You can then save in January.

Budget negotiations in parliament are currently proceeding in a similar manner. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (59) wants to save. The Council of States did not pay much attention to this last week.

To rescue? Are you kidding, are you serious when you say that?

The “chambre de réflexion” called for more money for regional passenger transport, also provided cuts in regional policy and gave farmers more money than the Federal Council wanted. Fewer direct payments would ultimately impact the wages of farming families.

The Council of States has clearly broken the debt brake, which should ensure that the state does not spend more than it earns in the long term. To comply with the Constitution, they introduced a credit freeze: the Federal Council was simply not allowed to use the approved loans.

On Monday the National Council was able to prove itself. Budgetary discipline was not much better. While the parties certainly tried to save money, they failed to make major compromises. Instead, party interests dominated. The SVP did not want to save on the army, the left did not want to save on the environment.

As was already the case in the Council of States, majorities were in favor of cuts to social assistance for refugees: and the United Nations Palestine Relief Agency (UNRWA) will no longer receive 20 million from Switzerland in 2024. But the National Council could not resist the temptation to give farmers and regional passenger transport more money than the Federal Council wanted.

“Not a good solution, but the only one today”

And this resulted in a budget in the National Council that was incompatible with the debt brake. The Center faction leader, Philipp Matthias Bregy (45), has submitted a proposal to take away the 18 million francs overspent from the railway infrastructure fund. “It’s not a good solution, but it’s the only one tonight,” he complained, pointing out that there would still be more than R5 billion in the fund.

No one was really satisfied with this solution. You should invest in public transport and not save money in the future, says SP financial politician Sarah Wyss (35).

“This is not a sustainable financial policy,” says SVP financial politician Lars Guggisberg (46). The SVP, FDP and GLP gritted their teeth and agreed to cut back on railway expansion.

The National Council ultimately approved the budget with a difference of four votes and many abstentions. After all, the budget would now comply with the debt brake. Now, however, it is the turn of the Council of States again. But after this debate, people fear the coming years will see even more cuts. Maybe a visit to the Christmas market will help you find compromises.

Source:Blick