Thousands demonstrate in Ticino against the canton’s austerity policy
Published: Saturday, Jan 20th 2024, 17:10
Updated At: Saturday, Jan 20th 2024, 17:10
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Several thousand people took to the streets in Bellinzona on Saturday to protest against the Ticino cantonal government's austerity policy. An estimated 5,000 people marched from the train station to the seat of the cantonal council in the afternoon. The final rally took place there.
Banners reading "Vergogna" ("Shame") were displayed at the rally because the Grand Council had passed a revision of the tax law in December, which provides for tax reductions for the highest income brackets. Teachers and representatives of social institutions criticized the fact that cuts were always being made to public service staff.
The protest under the slogan "Stop ai tagli!" ("Stop the cuts") was organized by left-wing parties, trade unions and staff associations. It was directed against the savings measures planned by the State Council in the 2024 cantonal budget.
Cuts are to be made at every turn. Cantonal staff in particular will be affected, as they will have to accept a salary reduction of two percent (from an annual salary of CHF 60,000) and the waiver of cost-of-living adjustments. Subsidies for health insurance premiums are also to be cut, as are contributions to social institutions such as organizations for the disabled. Staff in schools and retirement homes will also be affected.
The government points out that it must comply with the debt brake, which was approved in a referendum. The basis for its introduction was a proposal by the SVP. The debt brake requires a balanced account by the end of 2025.
Despite austerity measures, the budget closes with a deficit of CHF 130 million. However, the austerity package is also controversial among the conservative governing parties Lega, FDP and Mitte. The 2024 budget has not yet been adopted. The canton of Ticino has been in a provisional financial situation since the beginning of the year.
It was not the first time that opponents of the austerity measures took to the streets. There had already been a large demonstration in Bellinzona in November.
The ongoing protests have already had some effect. At the very least, the State Council has signaled its willingness to mitigate the cuts to health insurance premium subsidies somewhat and to look for new solutions to compensate cantonal employees for inflation, for example with a one-off premium of CHF 400.
The 2024 cantonal budget is now to be discussed in the Grand Council session at the beginning of February. Whether it will find a majority, and what majorities there will be, is still uncertain at the moment. The preliminary deliberations of the Business and Financial Audit Committee have announced three reports.
©Keystone/SDA
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