After Covid-19, there is a “need for optimization” in communication between the federal government and the cantons

The Audit Committee of the Council of States (GPK-S) assesses the cooperation between the federal government and the cantons during the corona pandemic as moderate. The division of powers was not always clearly regulated. There is a “clear need for optimization”. The committee makes 13 recommendations.

The division of powers provided for in the Epidemics Act has proven to be largely successful, according to the GPK-S report published on Thursday. Overall, thanks to the joint action of the federal and cantonal authorities, Switzerland was able to weather the crisis satisfactorily. There was regular contact at specialist level.

However, according to the GPK-S, the cantons were only partially included in the federal crisis organization. There was a lack of clearly defined contact points and guidelines, which made passing on information difficult.

Problems arose especially during the “special situation” and cooperation reached its limits several times. “The lack of a common understanding of the division of roles had a negative impact on crisis management when the second wave occurred at the end of autumn 2020,” the parliamentary oversight committee wrote in its report.

The monitoring committee regrets that the federal government and the cantons could not agree on their respective responsibilities even after the return to the “normal situation” in April 2022. It must therefore be investigated whether an additional situation needs to be defined in the Epidemics Act. Overall, it is “essential to more clearly regulate the respective roles, powers and responsibilities”.

In its report, the GPK-S further criticizes the insufficient consultation of the cantons on the pandemic measures throughout Switzerland and the lack of information provided to the cantons about the measures taken. These processes should be made more precise in the future. During the pandemic, there was often talk of a cantonal ‘patchwork quilt’. From the perspective of the GPK-S, institutionalized regular meetings between the Federal Council and the cantons could provide relief in times of crisis.

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee has formulated thirteen recommendations to improve the division of tasks and strategic coordination in future crises. Overall, the cantons should be better integrated into Swiss crisis management measures.

The GPK-S also demands two further reports on the Covid pandemic from the Federal Council. Contact tracing at federal and cantonal levels should be examined more closely and the creation of harmonized IT systems should be explored. The second is intended to take stock of the deployment of the army and civil defense in support of the cantons.

The Federal Council must comment on the report by mid-February. The GPK-S expects that the state government will take the recommendations into account in its ongoing work – especially in the revision of the Epidemics Act and the Pandemic Plan. The Federal Council has indicated in the past that it is prepared to accommodate. (sda)