Highest Swiss advertises mineral water

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“Sorry, I can’t say anything about that because of my presidency.” That is an answer that media professionals often get from the presidents of the National Council. As the highest Swiss, they want to take a step back politically. The Graubünden center politician Martin Candinas (42) is no exception.

The current chairman of the National Council behaves in accordance with the applicable rules when dealing with journalists. But he is less precise when it comes to mineral water. Because Candinas has been chairman of the “Mineral Water Interest Group” since 2017. It’s part of our militia system that the Speaker of the Grand Chamber of Parliament also has paid positions, but as he’s currently being deployed for a promotional interview for the carts in the mineral water and soda lobby, his deployment has a stale aftertaste.

Been criticized before

It is not the first time Candinas, president of the National Council, has offended the same circles with his activities. Although only four months of the current year have passed, the interview is the second campaign with which the Graubünden resident pushes the boundaries of the acceptable.

As early as mid-March, the “Observer” reported that Candinas had succumbed to the sugary advances of the soda lobby. The IG Mineralwasser had invited the parliamentarians to lunch in the “Salon Bernois” in the Bernese “Casino”. “Coca-Cola provides the speakers,” the article said.

Of course, the speaker avoided talking about the controversial subject of sugar. Finally, Coca-Cola made headlines because while it has committed to reducing the sugar content in its drinks, it does it with a trick: it simply launches new, low-sugar drinks while keeping Coca-Cola’s recipe unchanged. The sugar reduction is then simply calculated over the entire range. That doesn’t make a bottle of Coca-Cola any healthier.

water commercially

The cola speaker did speak about the high quality of mineral water. He is sustainability officer of Coca-Cola and therefore responsible for the quality assurance of the Valser mineral sources.

And here the circle closes: In the opening question of the interview, Candinas is asked about his presidential priorities and the Graubünden native quickly concludes: “As a mountaineer, water is also important to me.” He cycles the Rhine route from the Oberalp Pass to Basel. To add the advertising slogan: “And the theme of water also includes natural mineral water, the most popular drink among the Swiss.”

The Falser Man

On top of that. The next question takes a closer look at the topic of mineral water. To which Martin Candinas replies: «Natural mineral water evokes childhood memories for me. The Valser man always came by to deliver natural mineral water to my family.”

What a coincidence that Candinas just calls the Coca-Cola product False water. Martin Candinas assures Blick that the story is true. And since the chairman of the National Council is from Surselva and the Valser water comes from this region, it is also very credible. But if Candinas had given the same interview before or after his presidential year, it would have been a sympathetic anecdote. So she gets a Gschmäckli.

Candinas sees no problem

When asked about this, the Graubünden resident defended himself: “I was president of the IG Mineralwasser before my presidential year.” He will continue his extra-parliamentary duties as chairman of the National Council. “And of course I will continue to meet the obligations that come with these mandates,” he says.

And Candinas specifies, “Of course I wouldn’t give an interview if there was a delicate political issue affecting a mandate.” Because that is not the case, he does not believe “that the mineral water interview in my role as chairman of the interest group conflicts with my position as chairman of the National Council”.

Source:Blick