Done with the bargains: the politician’s palace in Bern is empty forever?

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Former federal councilor Pascal Couchepin (79, FDP) lived here. The same applies to former federal councilor Doris Leuthard (58, center) and former Chancellor Walter Thurnherr (58, center). And the Graubünden councilor Martin Candinas (41, center) also used the noble Von Wattenwyl House as a temporary residence. The almost 600-year-old patrician house with beautiful garden and beautiful view of the Aare belongs to the federal government.

On the lower floors, the Federal Council receives guests or the leaders of the Federal Council parties for the Von Wattenwyl talks. You can live upstairs – or rather: you can. The three rental apartments in which the top politicians lived at ridiculous rents are now empty.

You must be a politician

The 5-room apartment with 250 m² of living space in which Leuthard last lived cost 2,450 francs per month, including additional costs. Thurnherr paid 2,000 francs for his 3.5-room apartment of 120 m². And Candinas’ single room of 16 square meters was sold for the bargain price of 200 francs.

If you want to enjoy these affordable rental prices, you must meet a number of requirements. Only federal council members, federal judges, secretaries of state, parliamentarians or federal officials have a chance – due to security concerns.

View appointments, but no signature

As the “Tages-Anzeiger” writes, there were viewing appointments with several interested parties. However, no lease was signed. On the one hand because they could not agree on the rental price, on the other hand because the quality of the construction left much to be desired.

Now the federal government wants to renovate, the newspaper writes. This was invented years ago. The gas heating must be replaced in the summer and ‘repair work’ on the building envelope, windows, building installations and sanitary facilities would not follow until a year later at the earliest.

It should also be considered whether the apartment can be used as a meeting room or as a cloakroom for Federal Council receptions. So the apartments will remain empty for a while – and will probably no longer be rented out. (brother)

Source:Blick