Basel-Stadt wants to be upgraded to full status in Bern
Published: Wednesday, Feb 7th 2024, 17:21
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Basel-Stadt wants to campaign in Bern for an upgrade to full status with two seats in the small chamber. On Wednesday, the Basel Grand Council referred a corresponding initiative by the GLP to the government.
After a lengthy debate, in which opponents in particular spoke out, the Council voted 53 to 32 in favor of transferring the initiative with 10 abstentions. The Basel district council will deal with the same issue on Thursday.
The GLP's standing initiative is based on a postulate with the same content submitted by Katja Christ, a member of the GLP National Council from Basel-Stadt. However, the Federal Council has already rejected this proposal.
Opponents of the proposal from the ranks of the FDP, LDP, SVP and the Green-Alternative Alliance (GAB) argued that the proposal had no chance of success. "We're just playing politics for the gallery here," said SVP councillor Joël Thüring.
No strengthening of urban Switzerland
FDP councillor David Jenny, together with Oliver Thommen from the GAB, pointed out that the two Basel cantons could not insist on an increase in the value of their votes alone. However, if the two Appenzells as well as Obwalden and Nidwalden were now also able to increase their representation in the Council of States, the strengthening of urban Switzerland hoped for in the initiative text would no longer be far off.
The applicant Claudia Baumgartner (GLP), together with interim President of the Government Lukas Engelberger (center), pointed out that the principle was ultimately to eliminate the under-representation of the Basel-Stadt state and not to look ahead to possible consequences.
©Keystone/SDA
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