On Monday, the cantonal council adopted an urgent postulate of the SP, SVP, EPP, center and AL to the governing council by a vote of 99 to 70. This initiative requires at least one member of the Zurich government to serve on Axpo’s board of directors, preferably two with the Director of Construction and the Director of Finance.
In 2017, the canton gave up its two Axpo board seats. According to the majority of the cantonal council, Zurich has thus lost direct control and supervision of Axpo. This “depoliticisation” must now be reversed after the federal government had to prepare a rescue package for Axpo.
FDP opposes “politicization”
The FDP was against the renewed “politicization” of the company Axpo. “The withdrawal of the government councilors was justified at the time by a conflict of interest,” said FDP cantonal councilor Beat Habegger (47). These would still exist today. It is also important that there are people with specialist knowledge on the board of directors. It is well known that politicians are not the better entrepreneurs.
The Greens were somewhat of the same opinion: they also spoke out against government councilors on the board of directors. “The return of the politicians is not the panacea, at least not the only one,” says Daniel Heierli (57). The Axpo is fundamentally a bad design. “The liberalization failed with a bang.”
Construction director Neukom is skeptical
Your construction director Martin Neukom (36) is not enthusiastic about a return to the board of directors of Axpo. He understands “the desire for greater political control”. However, until now he has heard little about what to do with this check. It is not at all clear in which direction Axpo should develop. However, he accepted the request and considered how the control of the canton could be strengthened.
Due to Axpo’s “fundamental faulty design”, the subdistrict court also submitted two urgent postulates on Monday, arguing for a substantive reshuffling: if the majority of the council has its way, Axpo must provide the population’s electricity again instead of generating electricity. to trade the stock market.
This is to be achieved by having Axpo produce more for the electricity needs of the owner cantons. This electricity would then be extracted from the power exchange. In addition, the electricity works of the canton of Zurich (EKZ) no longer have to purchase from the free electricity market, but from Axpo. (SDA)