So, Mai 12th 2024
Federal Councillor Amherd is in favour of the 15 billion package, charitable funds for millionaires and the call for more security for Jewish students: This and more can be found in the Sunday papers. The headlines in unverified reports.
Defense Minister Viola Amherd wants to convince the entire Federal Council of the CHF 15 billion package for the army and Ukraine. According to the NZZ am Sonntag, the motion represents a “pragmatic solution” in a corresponding proposal from the Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
Amherd is thus going against the Federal Council’s previous line, the newspaper wrote. Administration lawyers have also emphasised that it is not legally possible to circumvent the debt brake in this situation. The debt brake provides for such exceptions, according to the DDPS proposal.
In recent years, cantons have also invested Swissloss funds in projects that are hardly charitable. As the SonntagsZeitung wrote, many cantons also used the money to relieve their budgets. The beneficiaries also included private individuals and companies that did not need the money.
The newspaper analysed the beneficiary projects from 2018 to 2023, including railroad entrepreneur Peter Spuhler, multiple millionaire Matthias Steinmann, Credit Suisse, Postfinance, SBB and the Qatar-owned Bürgenstock Resort. Although this support is permitted by law, it is not in the interests of the inventors.
The neutral countries of Switzerland, Austria, Matla and Ireland have planned closer cooperation with NATO. According to “Sonntagsblick”, the Swiss ambassador to NATO in Brussels, Philippe Brandt, signed a letter to this effect in December. It was first reported by the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse”.
It contains a five-point plan. The neutral NATO partners wanted privileged access to documents and information. The neutral countries want to be involved in good time before decisions are made. Joint crisis management should also be intensified.
An internal survey has revealed a crisis of confidence in the army’s most important special unit, the Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10 (AAD 10). The respondents complained about dishonest communication from their leadership and doubted their tactical abilities, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote based on the internal documents.
Only 35% of the members of the unit expressed trust in the leadership. The commander of the Special Forces Command, to which the AAD 10 unit is subordinate, said that the special forces cultivate an open approach and strive for perfectionism. “This expectation leads to open and very direct criticism.” The survey dates back to autumn 2021, when four AAD 10 soldiers were dismissed due to a lack of coronavirus vaccination.
Swiss companies should benefit from the funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Of the five billion francs for Ukraine, one billion francs should flow to Swiss companies if possible, as Seco head Helene Budliger Artieda told “SonntagsBlick”. “Swiss companies should create jobs in Ukraine,” said the head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco).
This would give people prospects and generate tax revenue for the Ukrainian state. The Federal Council has instructed the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs to develop a program. This still has to be approved, said Budliger Artieda.
How much equity capital UBS really needs to build up has led to question marks. According to UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti, a secure major Swiss bank needs 20 billion dollars in equity capital, as the “NZZ am Sonntag” wrote. Beyond that, Ermotti said he could not speculate on what the Federal Council’s new plans would mean for UBS.
The Department of Finance has not commented on the amount mentioned by Ermotti. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter’s department spoke of CHF 15 to 25 billion. Financial circles are puzzling over whether a further 15 to 25 billion dollars would be needed in addition to the 20 billion dollars.
The Zurich District Court has filed a criminal complaint against vaccination critics on the basis of an illegal recording. The recording showed a judge making derogatory remarks about a vaccination critic, as the SonntagsZeitung newspaper reported. The man had filed a complaint against what he considered to be an abusive dismissal. He accused his employer of only dismissing him because he had refused the coronavirus vaccination. He secretly recorded the conversation with his employer and the hearing at the labor court and published excerpts of it on the internet. For vaccination critics, the recording is proof of how they were discriminated against during the pandemic, the newspaper wrote.
The average income of Generation Z is significantly higher than that of previous generations. Data refutes the statement that those born between 1997 and 2012 are worse off than their parents, as the SonntagsZeitung wrote. Unlike their predecessors, Generation Z benefits from rising wage levels and a shortage of skilled workers.
Nevertheless, owning their own home remains a dream for most of them. Entering the job market is also becoming increasingly difficult. The proportion of people entering the workforce on fixed-term contracts is increasing from generation to generation. The proportion of 25-year-olds with a management position is the same as for millennials and significantly higher than for Generation X, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office.
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