Letter from the old federal council members turned out to be a non-starter: even Ogis Kandersteg said yes to the 13th AHV pension

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

It was almost an act of desperation: five civilian former federal councilors wrote a letter to hundreds of thousands of seniors to dissuade them from voting yes to the 13th AHV pension. The initiative was extremely dangerous, trivializing and irresponsible, they warned the pensioners. These should not “saddle their own descendants with billions in costs”.

The warning call from the five ex-magistrates, who are entitled for life to a federally paid old-age pension currently amounting to 236,479 francs per year, was poorly received by the AHV recipients – and was a complete failure.

Washed away at the urn

The old federal councilors were again defeated at the ballot box. Not only at the national level, but also at the cantonal and local level: in the municipality of Kandersteg BE of Adolf Ogi (81, SVP), 51.9 percent voted yes. Johann Schneider-Ammanns (72, FDP) Langenthal BE agreed with 53.4 percent. Pascal Couchepin (81, FDP) had to take a low blow in Martigny USA with 71.5 percent yes and Joseph Deiss (78, center) in Freiburg had to accept – appropriate for his age – 78.2 percent yes.

Only Doris Leuthard (60, center) could convince her housemates in Merenschwand AG – albeit with only 51.4 percent no. The canton of Aargau, on the other hand, said yes.

Dreifuss can be happy

In Geneva there must have been a satisfied smile: former federal councilor Ruth Dreifuss (84, SP) publicly advocated a yes vote in a women’s manifesto for better pensions. Her community thanked her with a 77.5 percent yes.

Source:Blick