The SVP is in favor of a higher retirement age and against an AHV expansion
Published: Saturday, Jan 27th 2024, 15:40
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On Saturday, the SVP delegates adopted their slogans for the AHV votes on March 3. They support the Young Liberals' pension initiative, which calls for a higher retirement age, and reject the trade union initiative for a 13th AHV pension.
On Saturday in Bürglen UR, the SVP delegates voted in favor of the popular initiative "For secure and sustainable old-age provision" by the Young Liberals by 216 votes to 102 with 2 abstentions. They recommended rejecting the trade unions' popular initiative "For a better life in old age" by 301 votes to 34 with 13 abstentions. They thus followed the party leadership in both votes.
Both Nicole Roth, President of the Young SVP Baselland, and former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher spoke out in favor of the Young Liberals' initiative. "If we don't act, we will bankrupt the AHV," Roth explained. Blocher was also convinced that the AHV could be secured with a higher retirement age.
Problematic coupling
SVP National Councillor Thomas de Courten (BL), on the other hand, rejected the initiative because of the link to the average age. A professor lives longer than a carpenter, he said. Several speakers also said that the problem of AHV funding could also be solved if the federal government spent less money on refugees or development aid.
The so-called pension initiative calls for the retirement age to be raised to 66 by 2033 and then for the retirement age to be linked to average life expectancy. The trade union initiative, on the other hand, advocates an expansion of the AHV. It wants all pensioners to receive 13 instead of twelve monthly pensions.
Too expensive
For the vast majority of SVP delegates, the financing of this expansion was the main problem with the trade union initiative. National Councillor Diana Gutjahr (TG) said that the 13th pension would cost five billion francs a year and would therefore be extremely expensive at a time when the ageing population is placing a financial burden on the AHV.
The two SVP federal councillors also campaigned for a No. Albert Rösti said that a No was in the interests of the middle classes and senior citizens. Guy Parmelin said that if the Confederation had to pay more into the AHV, savings would have to be made elsewhere.
Daniel Lampart, Chief Economist of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), was therefore unable to win the argument that a 13th pension is needed to ensure that all pensioners can make ends meet. He only received support in the discussion from National Councillor Jean-Luc Addor (SVP/VS). Pensioners have a right to be happy, he said.
Against negotiations with the EU
One focus of the delegates' meeting was Switzerland's relations with the European Union. The delegates unanimously adopted a "Resolution in defense of our freedom and people's rights - No to the treaty of subjugation with the EU".
Party President Marco Chiesa had previously once again spoken out against negotiations on an institutional link between Switzerland and the European Union. The new negotiating mandate, which the Federal Council decided on at the end of 2023 following the failure of the institutional framework agreement, was "old wine in new bottles".
With an institutional link, Switzerland would have to "bury its independence and direct democracy", said Chiesa. Immigration would also continue to increase. Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, SVP National Councillor from Graubünden, expressed a similar view. There was a threat of "subjugation" and "tribute payments".
Solve problems yourself
Martullo explained that Switzerland knows better than the EU where its problems lie. However, the laws of the European Union would not solve Switzerland's problems, but only exacerbate them.
The businesswoman did not accept the argument that the Swiss economy would be at a disadvantage compared to the EU without an agreement. "We don't want a level playing field, because we have longer ones," she said.
Martullo received support from economist Beat Kappeler. As an alternative to an institutional link, he suggested complaining to the World Trade Organization about "harassment" by the EU. Swiss companies should not "hang up the country's sovereignty after 733 years" because of a few obstacles.
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