A center-left coalition wants to prioritize additional spending on the army and aid to Ukraine over the debt brake. The expenses must be recorded as extraordinary. On Thursday, the showdown will take place within the Council of States committee.
Doris Kleck / ch media
Secret agreement worth several billions, unprecedented bargaining, financial pandemonium: the Blick did not lack superlatives when he made public a center-left plan in his Wednesday edition. Politicians from different parties want to cut the Gordian knot.
The right quickly wants more resources for the army, the left wants to prevent money intended for aid in the reconstruction of Ukraine from being spent to the detriment of international development cooperation (IC). And The Center is sort of in between. Everyone must now agree and make concessions in order to increase security and stability in Europe.
The Swiss army says it needs more money.Image: Raphael Rohner
The center-left therefore plans an agreement worth 16 billion. Military spending is already expected to reach 1% of gross domestic product by 2030, instead of 2035. The cost: 11 billion francs. And the five billion francs for reconstruction aid must not come from the CI budget, as planned by the Federal Council. The 16 billion francs must be counted as “extraordinary expenses” and thus escape the debt brake. But for this, a special law is needed.
Do the Constitution and law authorize this agreement?
On Thursday, the Security Policy Commission of the Council of States will decide on a proposal to this effect from State Councilor Marianne Binder (Center), as confirmed by various sources. The request was submitted during the last session in mid-March; In the meantime, the administration had to answer some questions about it. The report is available, but it is subject to committee secrecy.
The controversy mainly concerns whether the 16 billion francs can be counted as “extraordinary”. The Federal Council answered this question in the negative with regard to the army, but also the reconstruction in Ukraine.
In March, when the National Council discussed a fund for reconstruction aid – and rejected it with the votes of the UDC, the PLR and the Center. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said:
“The debt brake excludes any new sustainable debt. The conditions for extraordinary financing according to current law are therefore not met.”
Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs
When State Councilor Werner Salzmann (UDC/BE) wanted to increase army spending by circumventing the debt brake, the Federal Council also said no. According to the Federal Finance Act, extraordinary expenditure is only permitted due to exceptional developments which cannot be controlled by the Confederation. Army spending is not included.
Tax increase
Parliament of course has the power to change the law. In recent weeks, representatives from both chambers have pushed forward the idea of a 16 billion deal. Defense Minister Viola Amherd (Center) is also reportedly in favor of the idea.
Viola Amherd.Keystone
It will be interesting to see whether the politicians also manage to convince their parliamentary group. Is the PS really in favor of a rapid and significant increase in army spending? And is the Center ready to circumvent the debt brake? UDC Mauro Tuena is convinced that this would be the beginning of the end of the debt brake.
A working group led by State Councilor Peter Hegglin (Center/ZG) recently proposed to temporarily increase VAT if we want to spend so much money financing the army. This would be the most honest path, according to him. He does not believe in the mega-deal that his party colleagues are putting forward. “The idea was not thought through to the end”, says Peter Hegglin. “With financing outside of the debt brake, the Constitution and the law are being flouted.”
Internal divergences
Peter Hegglin openly admits that there are divergent positions within his group between finance politicians (like him) and security politicians. The latter would favor circumventing the debt brake, because a popular vote is considered too great an obstacle.
The center-left has a majority in the Security Policy Commission. The 16 billion agreement therefore has a chance of succeeding. If it passes, the finance politicians of the National Council will take charge of the file: on May 7, their finance committee will probably decide on the agreement. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
Translated and adapted by Tanja Maeder
