‘HEV taken over by SVP’

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Ruedi Noser (62) has been a member of the Association of Owners (HEV) for about ten years. More precisely, he was a member. This week, the Zurich FDP Council of States withdrew from the association – out of anger at the commitment of the HEV against the climate protection law.

HEV chairman Hans Egloff (63), former national councilor of the SVP, is mobilizing against the bill, just like his party. Noser, the figurehead of the Glacier Initiative, is committed to a yes. “The association must represent the interests of homeowners,” Noser complains. “Instead, he’s taking over the SVP campaign without looking at the climate law – that’s disrespect to the members!”

Cantonal differences

His anger is not a coincidence, the owners of Hüsli do not form a united bloc: there are different positions on the climate law. The French-speaking Swiss Owners’ Association decided to say yes, just like the cantonal associations of Lucerne, Zug and Basel-Stadt.

“Homeowners are divided on this issue, if not mostly in favour,” says Noser. The association is therefore not entitled to publish the no slogan on behalf of the members. On the contrary, homeowners benefited from the climate law.
In fact, the bill will provide two billion Swiss francs over a ten-year period to replace fossil fuel heating systems. “With the Climate Protection Act, we are saying yes to the Paris climate targets, and only with voluntary measures,” says Noser.

Everyone who as a citizen wants to do something for climate protection receives support.
Noser explains that the HEV decided to say no because of President Egloff’s SVP membership. His conclusion: “The HEV has been taken over by the SVP – whoever sends money to the association might as well send money to the SVP.”

HEV chairman Hans Egloff has little use for such statements. He regrets Mr. Noser’s dismissal, he says. “But as an association, after an extensive debate, we made a democratic decision: the no slogan came out clearly.” Noser has “a strange understanding of democracy” when he can’t accept it.

“If You Can’t Think of Anything Better”

Egloff, a long-time SVP politician, is also opposed to equating the HEV with the People’s Party. “This saying always comes up when you can’t think of anything better. Three-quarters of our board consists of people who are not members of the SVP.”
For Egloff, it is only natural for the Homeowners’ Association to become politically involved. “We are a political organization, that’s the nature of things.” The cantonal associations are free to formulate their own slogans – in the same democratic process as the Swiss association.

In terms of content, the HEV chairman rejects the Climate Protection Act, because he fears negative consequences for homeowners. Egloff admits that the law only sets goals. “But if these are not adhered to – which is foreseeable – one will be forced to replace stoves that are still working.” He rejects that. “There is no need for a government education program for homeowners.”

In addition, he considers the effect of subsidies for the replacement of oil and gas heating installations to be negligible. His calculation is as follows: 800,000 heating installations should be replaced in the coming years; on two billion francs in ten years, that is between 2,000 and 5,000 francs per household.

Egloff: “Anyone who wants to replace the heating anyway benefits – for everyone else the incentive is too small. It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

Source:Blick