“It Scares Me That It’s So Easy”

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A few days ago, high above the roofs of the capital, a young man climbed the roof of the federal palace in Bern. Apparently unnoticed by security personnel, the young man films his daring ascent to the great dome. He then spreads the video and photos of it on Tiktok or Instagram.

It is not the first time that the man dared to climb a building. The student is a “roofer” and does what is called “roofing” as a hobby. You usually climb tall buildings or bridges without security – looking for the big kick.

After a successful ascent, the sometimes shaky photos are shared on social media to brag about the action. These are partly illegal because the climbers sometimes gain access to restricted areas.

Blick met the man, who wished to remain anonymous, for an interview. “It scares me that it’s that simple,” says Elia. “I expected an arrest.” (The whole interview in the video above).

Fedpol determined

The risky climb is the second security incident in several months. In February, a young man was arrested in front of the Federal Palace. The mentally disturbed man in the camouflage suit parked in the middle of the Bundesplatz and an explosives test was positive – the Bundeshaus was subsequently evacuated.

Parliamentarians reported that the evacuation was chaotic at times and that the federal government promised improvements in safety. So does the Bundeshaus have a security problem?

The parliamentary services, which are responsible for security in the Federal Palace, declined to provide a detailed statement about the climber on the dome of the Federal Palace when asked. The reason for this is the ongoing investigation by the federal police service Fedpol.

The Fedpol said it is only aware of the video and is in contact with parliamentary services as host. Further investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Security has been improved

Already after the incidents in February, there were rumors that there were gaps in the security arrangements of the Federal Palace. However, it was mainly about problems with the evacuation. “We would have been seen in an emergency,” Secretary of State Andrea Caroni, 43, said after the incident. However, the security forces were able to apprehend the man in the camouflage suit in front of the building.

Due to the problems with the evacuation and the criticism that followed, the Federal Palace already adjusted some points in February. For example, the alarm must also be audible when no session is taking place. In the event of an emergency, not only parliamentarians must be kept informed via SMS, but also employees.

The procedure for opening emergency exit doors in an emergency has also been revised in collaboration with Fedpol. There will also be more safety training in the future.

But how could an 18-year-old sneak onto the roof of the Swiss seat of government completely unnoticed? This question is currently being investigated by Fedpol. Compared to Blick, Elia only says: “We found a way. We were a team and had people with radios supporting us from the bottom up.”

Security measures a patchwork?

The top security chief of the Bundeshaus, Andreas Wortmann, already acknowledged some mistakes in the February evacuation. For example, the alarm could not be heard everywhere. This is to prevent mass panic. However, in February this also meant that some MPs and staff were not even aware of the evacuation. In an emergency situation, this can also have fatal consequences.

A possible cause of the holes in the security system is the large number of parties involved. Within the Federal Palace, the Parliamentary Services are responsible, including for evacuations. Access controls, meanwhile, are subject to Fedpol, while security around the Federal Palace is the responsibility of the Bernese cantonal police. Communication between these services and a clear division of powers are therefore central.

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Source:Blick