Baume-Schneider praises Swiss diversity in Valais
Published: Thursday, Aug 1st 2024, 16:20
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Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider attended the 1st August Brunch on Thursday in a building in the middle of a Valais vineyard in Saint-Pierre-de-Clages VS. The Federal Councillor toured the vineyard and then gave an official speech.
The Head of the Department of Home Affairs was able to give her speech in Lower Valais after having to cancel her appearance in Rorschach SG the previous day due to a thunderstorm. Her speech focused on the diversity of Switzerland.
Switzerland is diverse, but no less united as a result, said Baume-Schneider. This diversity must go hand in hand with the will to live together and pursue a common project. In a bilingual canton like Valais, "you probably know this better than anyone else", she said to the 100 or so guests at the brunch.
For the Jura native, it is crucial to maintain "a healthy culture of debate" while avoiding the risk of polarization. She praised the numerous opportunities, such as votes, that "allow us not to lock ourselves in bubbles, not to avoid dialog and to cultivate the richness of this diversity".
Social stability
This diversity also requires a culture of compromise that enables the country to move forward. In particular, the Federal Councillor spoke of the importance of constant negotiations in order to ensure social stability that leaves no one by the wayside.
If this social security comes at a cost, we should be talking about investment rather than expenditure, said the Social Democrat. Investments in health and education would reduce costs for the state in the long term.
After concluding her speech, which was peppered with excerpts from the Valais anthem, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider approached the public.
Other political guests
Several Valais politicians also attended the brunch, including State Councillor Mathias Reynard, National Councillor Benjamin Roduit and the President of the Grand Council Muriel Favre-Torelloz.
Alongside Guy Parmelin, who is expected in Jussy GE in the evening, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is the only member of the Federal Council who is traveling to French-speaking Switzerland this year to give a speech on 1 August.
©Keystone/SDA
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