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The members of the Federal Council should be confirmed every two years by the people and the cantons. This calls for a new citizens’ initiative from the Swiss Freedom Movement (FBS), which was launched on Tuesday.
“The people are in charge,” FBS chairman Richard Koller told media in Bern. The initiative committee notes with concern that the decisions of the Federal Council in important areas are increasingly inconsistent with the will of many voters. “Many people are not only frustrated, many are really angry.”
With an amendment to the federal constitution, the commission wants to give individual heads of department more responsibility. “If people are not satisfied, they should be able to fire the department management,” says Koller.
confirmation election every two years
Specifically, the commission wants to supplement Article 145 of the Constitution on term of office as follows: “The members of the Federal Council must be confirmed in office every two years by means of a confirmatory election by the people and the cantons. A confirmation is made by the majority of the people and estates.
The confirmation election must therefore take place in September of the second year after the election of the Federal Council by the Federal Assembly and in September of the second year after the last confirmation election.
For members of the Federal Council who do not reach the majority of the people and cantons, their term of office must end on the day their successor is elected. The Federal Assembly must elect them no later than December 31 of the year in which the confirmation election took place.
No popular Federal Council election
The federal popular initiative “Confirmation of the Federal Councilors by the People (Confirmation Initiative of the Federal Council)” was pre-examined by the Federal Chancellery and published in the Official Gazette. The initiative committee now has until November 16, 2024 to collect 100,000 signatures to bring about the referendum.
Koller argued that his new initiative should be clearly distinguished from that of the 2013 SVP, which called for a referendum in the Bundesrat. At the time, 76.3 percent of voters rejected this referendum.
“The people shouldn’t vote because they don’t know enough about the people,” Koller said. But a correction is needed to remove “incompetent members of the Federal Council” from office. Today, trust in the Federal Council, in the parties and in the media has been seriously damaged.
Berset in the focus of the initiated
Health Minister Alain Berset, in particular, has done a poor job during the pandemic. The 1.3 million votes against the Covid law in the first vote in the referendum are a clear signal. “We want a change.”
Matthias Wehrli, co-initiator and media spokesman of the citizens’ initiative, cited several examples in which government policy would deviate from the will of the people. The increasing regulation of the economy, the growing tax burden, the escalating over-indebtedness of the federal government and the lack of energy security upset many people. It is “obvious” that the Bundesrat is acquiring more and more undemocratic, autonomous power.
reconsider the principle of collegiality
Wehrli also argued for a reconsideration of the principle of collegiality. “Every member of the Federal Council should be able to express his honest opinion publicly. The people should know the truth.”
In addition, at the end of their term of office, the ministers may only receive part of their salary, no longer receive a pension and the general contribution must be discontinued. A corresponding other citizens’ initiative is under consideration. (SDA)
Source:Blick
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