The SVP has just been able to celebrate a success: Your Federal Councilor Albert Rösti (55) received the Energy Department on Thursday. In other areas things are going less smoothly. The party is struggling to collect enough signatures for the referendum against the ‘electricity guzzlers law’, as it calls the indirect counter-proposal to the glacier initiative. Conversation with party chairman Marco Chiesa (48).
Sunday view: Mr Chiesa, in just over a month, on January 19, the referendum period against the electricity guzzlers law will end. Are you on track?
Marco Chiesa: Unfortunately not. At the moment we have 32,000 signatures – that’s not enough. During the holiday season, it becomes even more difficult to collect the missing 20,000 signatures. So the alarm bells are ringing.
Perhaps your constituents will like the counter-proposal to the glacier initiative?
I’m asking you! The law aims to ban fossil fuels such as gasoline and oil by 2050. Heating and driving should only be possible with electricity. And this despite the fact that we already produce too little electricity today. Moreover, the Bundesrat would in fact be given general powers and could itself determine the penalty for expensive housing renovations.
Apparently, however, the energy issue does not appeal to citizens.
When we collect signatures, people like to sign. And surveys also show that security of supply is a concern for the population.
How come only 32,000 signatures came together?
We were unlucky: on the day we announced that we would hold the referendum, Federal Councilor Maurer resigned. Moments later, federal councilor Sommaruga announced her resignation. Since then, the elections to the Bundesrat have dominated the headlines. It is also a fact that the efforts of party members and cantonal parties are insufficient. I understand that during the holiday season people prefer to deal with gifts rather than politics…
… but?
The executive committee, the parliamentary group, those responsible in the cantons and local branches must wake up and accelerate! We are convinced that the people should have the last word. It is therefore important that the referendum takes place.
If so, you’ll have to go up against your own Secretary of Energy. Either the SVP loses – or your Federal Councilor Albert Rösti.
The principle of collegiality is part of our system. It is no problem if we have to compete with our Bundesrat. And Albert Rösti will also be able to deal with this situation.