How much money do our parliamentarians earn thanks to part-time jobs? Since this legislature, MPs have to indicate how much paid interest obligations they have. Recently, an evaluation showed which MPs are the biggest Pöstli fighters. The only thing that is not yet transparent is how high the remuneration for the individual mandates is.
And even with the definition of what is a paid Postli and what is not, there is ambiguity. In addition: Recently, the Aargau Central National Councilor Ruth Humbel (65) was mistakenly identified by “Lobbywatch” as the person allegedly holding the highest paid mandates. The evaluation, also reported by Blick, was flawed. Lobby Watch has apologized.
List is now secret
While active federal politicians now declare their “functions”, longtime parliamentarians are exempt from this rule. Anyone who leaves the stage as a member of the Council of States or National Council can still enter and exit the Federal Palace. This is provided by the access badge for former MPs, which can be requested. Whoever has such a door opener after his political career remains a secret. Even if it is used for lobbying.
Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to revoke this privilege from MPs who have resigned and been voted out. An advance from Thomas Minder (61, non-party) shows that former national councilor Gerold Bührer (74, FDP) very much appreciated being allowed access to the Federal Palace after his political career as chairman of the economic umbrella organization Economiesuisse. During the latest session, Berne Mayor and former National Councilor Alec von Graffenried (60, Greens) was seen on the lobby balcony trying to talk to a National Councillor.
“Maintain contact”
The Association of Former Members of the Federal Assembly (VEMBV) is also silent. Old MPs automatically become family there when they leave. The aim of the parliamentary group of pensioners is to “unite former members of the Swiss Federal Assembly and maintain friendly contact between them”. But who is in this association has recently been kept secret. For years, the association’s list of members was published monthly and updated on Parliament’s website. Now she’s gone.
Blick, however, wanted to know who is a member of the association. Until recently, Parliament’s website stated: “The list of members can be ordered by e-mail”. The sentence in question was removed from the website after the Blick request and access was denied. According to the federal government, it is a private association and there is no public interest in it.
Old politicians complained
Why suddenly this discretion, while the association previously excluded its members for years? “The list has been removed from the website after consultation with the president due to the lack of a legal basis or the lack of permission from the members of the VEMBV for publication,” said the responsible official in the parliamentary services when asked. Negative feedback on the list’s publication came from individual members. It is likely that sensitive data such as telephone numbers were also found on it.
VEMBV chairman is the busy sports official and former CVP member of the Council of States and Filippo Lombardi (66). Today he still holds nearly 20 directorships. When asked, he says he does not know why the list is no longer public. But he’ll get to the bottom of it.
The secrecy about former MPs goes against the wishes of FDP councilor Andrea Caroni (42). Especially when it comes to entrance to the Federal Palace. “To this day, there is no legal basis or objective reason for longtime parliamentarians to access and lobby the Federal Palace in an opaque manner,” the lawyer said.
MPs don’t want to change anything
Caroni had therefore demanded in parliament that there should be an accreditation system for lobbyists in the Federal Palace. According to this article, all lobbyists working in the parliament building should have announced their clients.
The National Council rejected this, as did Caroni’s demand to restrict entry for senior parliamentarians. “Too many incumbent MPs were concerned that this access badge could be useful to them after their term in office.” Thinking of themselves, the parliamentarians would have spoken out against stricter rules for former MPs, Caroni suspects.
Officially only one lobby
More transparency among stakeholders is an old demand in the Federal Palace. Stricter rules apply in some areas: the list of people who receive a ticket from a councilor through the so-called “Götti system” has been on the internet since 2012. It was also a secret before that.
Lobbyists can voluntarily join the Swiss Public Affairs Society (Spag). The association represents the interests of lobbyists and makes them transparent. Those who join must disclose their vested interests. On the list of more than 240 members, there is only one former parliamentarian: Regina Ammann (59) was in 1999 less than a year in the National Council for the Landesring der Independenten (LdU). Today she is officially lobbying for the agrochemicals manufacturer Syngenta.
Humbel demands consistency
Councilor Ruth Humbel, who gave the Watson online portal insight into the income from their mandates – between 65,000 and 75,000 francs a year – now says: “I know politicians who donate less than 2,000 francs in expenses do not declare.” Clear rules are needed about the amount of which a power of attorney must be regarded as paid.
Lobbying and advocacy are currently judged differently depending on political stance, she clarifies Watson, concluding: “Union and union officials should also declare their work for remuneration.”