Criticisms aimed at Federal Councilor Beat Jans’ communication on asylum, but also the safeguard clause on immigration and risks 30 years after the OTS drama, make the headlines in the Sunday press.
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Here is the main information, not confirmed to Keystone-ATS:
Beat Jans under fire from critics
The communication by Swiss Minister of Justice and Police Beat Jans on asylum issues is the target of strong criticism from national advisors, reveals the SonntagsZeitung. They sent him a letter, in which they deplore that the federal councilor is concealing important information from them.
The letter was written by National Councilor Martina Bircher (UDC/AG) and signed by 22 of the 23 members of the National Council’s Committee on Political Institutions. She points out in particular the problem of the Roma in relation to protection status S or the absence of Mr. Jans during the sessions on asylum. “Federal Councilor Beat Jans participates in meetings of the responsible committee when Federal Council matters or matters of major political importance are on the agenda,” a spokesperson for the Basel socialist said in the newspaper.
30 years after the OTS, what about sectarian excesses?
The religious currents on which the Intercantonal Information Center on Beliefs (CIC) is most requested concern above all Christianity in Switzerland, indicates in Le Matin Dimanche its director Manéli Farahmand, 30 years after the massacre of the Order of the Temple solar (OTS).
Evangelical circles, new spiritualities, new religious movements and alternative therapies are particularly questioned, adds the socio-anthropologist of religions. “In comparison, Islam, as well as Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish traditions, account for only about 7% of annual applications.” According to her, the activities of the CIC have evolved a lot in 20 years. “Today, there is an increase in political concerns linked to sectarian aberrations, exacerbated by the context of the pandemic” of Covid-19.
Immigration
Supporters of a deal with the European Union (EU) are mobilizing in Switzerland after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen refused a unilateral escape clause for Switzerland to limit immigration, reports the NZZ am Sonntag. It is possible to mention “in the constitution or in the law a safeguard clause which would allow us, if necessary, to curb immigration in an independent and limited time manner”, indicates national councilor Simon Michel (PLR/SO) .
The clause would therefore not be part of the new agreements with the EU and would not in itself be contrary to the treaty, he adds. “Brussels would only intervene if we actually invoked the clause.” A procedure would then follow within the joint committee and before the arbitration tribunal, which would last approximately eight years, notes the national advisor. “During this time, we will be able to control immigration.”
Discontinuation of the proceedings against the Abbot of Saint-Maurice
The Valais public prosecutor has closed criminal proceedings for sexual abuse against the former father-abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice (VS) Jean Scarcella, reveals SonntagsBlick. Valais Attorney General Beatrice Pilloud did not want to give the reasons for this classification. According to the newspaper, the clergyman is opposed to journalists being able to consult the dismissal order.
The former father-abbot was accused of having sexually harassed young people during piano lessons. One of them wrote a letter to the Pope denouncing the incident. An internal Church complaint reports a second victim. Canon law proceedings are still underway against Jean Scarcella. The abbey has commissioned an independent working group to shed light on the suspicions of sexual abuse. The results should be available in summer 2025.
Evolution of salaries in Switzerland
Wages have increased more in recent years in Switzerland than what the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has calculated, assures the SonntagsZeitung, citing data from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). According to the central bank, wages have increased on average by 1.9% since August 2023 and by less than 1% since 2020. The OFS indicates that real wages have fallen by more than 3% since 2020, inflation having swallowed up wage increases.
The SNB data has been available since 2018 and includes the 42 million salary payments per year, which move from an employer account to an employee account. According to the newspaper, the salary trend calculated in this way agrees well with other salary statistics and significantly better than the FSO index. However, the federal office believes in the newspaper that “the results of the Swiss wage index are reliable”.
Swiss passports soon to be gender-neutral?
The State should no longer distinguish between men and women in Switzerland, believes former professor of private law at the University of St. Gallen Thomas Geiser in Le Matin Dimanche and the SonntagsZeitung. “Making a distinction between men and women contradicts the principle of equality enshrined in the federal constitution,” he adds. “Today, there is simply no longer any reason to do it,” continues the former deputy judge at the Federal Court, aged 71.
“Everyone should be able to continue to describe themselves as man, woman or non-binary as they wish. But, for the State, this distinction should not be important.
The doctor falsified his research results
Doctor Adriano Aguzzi, accused of falsifying research results at the Institute of Neuropathology at the University Hospital of Zurich, had already been the subject of investigations by the University of Zurich in 2019, following similar accusations, writes SonntagsBlick. Some works, which were recently corrected or removed, had already been reported as suspicious to the university management at the end of 2019.
The institution closed the investigation in September 2020, explaining that the irregularities in the publications “were either refuted or reported as ‘corrigenda’ to the journals concerned”. The university opened a new investigation in March. The scientist admitted to having reported laboratory experiments with mice which were in fact never carried out.
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