Reactions to the ECtHR ruling could not be more different
Published: Tuesday, Apr 9th 2024, 16:01
Updated At: Tuesday, Apr 9th 2024, 16:01
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In politics, the condemnation of Switzerland by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is being received very differently. The right to a healthy climate is a fundamental right, according to the Greens. The SVP calls the ruling "ridiculous".
According to the ruling, the right to a healthy environment is a fundamental right, Green Party President Lisa Mazzone told the media in Bern on Tuesday. It is the first such ruling for a country and sets a clear, binding goal. It leaves the means of achieving it open. The Greens want to discuss their demands in an urgent debate in parliament in June.
"Do your homework"
For Bernese GLP National Councillor Jürg Grossen, the rebuke to Switzerland comes as no surprise: "We know that we are not doing enough for the climate." However, it is right that this has now also been recognized internationally.
Grossen told the Keystone-SDA news agency that Switzerland, with its high climate debt and at the same time many resources in terms of technology and knowledge, must be a role model in climate issues. "We have to do our homework ourselves."
The SP sees its demands confirmed. It once again called for public investment to ensure the success of the energy and climate transition and criticized the Federal Council for its inaction. "This ruling is a slap in the face for the Federal Council," SP Co-President Mattea Meyer was quoted as saying.
"Ridiculous judgment"
The tenor of the SVP, Center Party and FDP was completely different. St. Gallen SVP National Councillor Mike Egger called the ECHR ruling "ridiculous". It is always dangerous when courts play politics.
Switzerland pursues a good environmental policy and invests billions of francs every year - with success, said Egger. "We have improved in many areas and significantly reduced per capita greenhouse gas emissions as well as oil and electricity consumption." This is confirmed by federal figures.
"Completely incomprehensible" is the verdict for Bernese FDP National Councillor Christian Wasserfallen. The court does not understand Swiss democracy, he said, referring to the revised and tightened CO2 Act, which was rejected at the ballot box in 2021. Making the Federal Council solely responsible for this "no" was "a joke".
Rebuke to the voters
Thanks to direct democratic means, people in Switzerland can make their concerns heard, according to Wasserfallen. Nicolò Paganini, a member of the National Council from the center of St. Gallen, also believes that the rebuke should actually go to the Swiss electorate for voting no to the stricter CO2 law supported by his parliamentary group.
"In the Swiss system, judges cannot overturn referendum decisions," said Paganini. This is part of the political culture in Switzerland. He suggested that the climate seniors could launch a popular initiative with their request.
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, expressed her surprise at the ruling against Switzerland. She was interested in the reasoning, said Amherd at a media conference during her visit to Austria. She is looking forward to reading the details of the ruling and will make a statement afterwards.
WWF: Success for all generations
According to the environmental organization WWF, the victory of the climate seniors is a success for all generations. On X, the WWF spoke of a far-reaching precedent. And: "It could hardly be more official: Switzerland must finally act."
The Swiss Energy Foundation (SES) described the ruling as a historic victory in a press release on X. For the Climate Protection Association, the ruling confirms a long-standing concern of the association. Switzerland is still doing too little to protect its population from the consequences of the climate crisis.
©Keystone/SDA
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