The Federal Council is stingy but parliamentarians want to correct the situation. On Wednesday, the finance committee of the National Council voted to increase the budget by 4 million francs planned by the government for actions to promote sport and marketing around the women’s Euro football tournament, which will be organized in Switzerland in 2025. But this was decided “after extensive debate”, she communicates, and nothing is decided.
It is the same commission of the Council of States which first proposed increasing the planned budget from 4 to 15 million. “The Confederation must assume its responsibilities,” she said. Among the ideas: actions to promote sport, international communication via Suisse Tourisme and the integration of public transport tickets into tickets for Euro matches. However, the 5 million francs proposed for Switzerland Tourism were accepted by the National committee by only 13 votes to 11; and the 5 million for public transport by 13 votes to 12, which may announce a close final vote in the Chambers.
Ironically, at the Federal Council, it is a woman, the head of the sports department Viola Amherd, who must defend the government’s position, which is to limit itself to 4 million francs in total (compared to more than 80 million when Switzerland organized the 2008 men’s Euro), a choice which caused scandal.
During the debate in March in the Council of States, she justified this large gap. “A large part of the Confederation’s contributions to Euro 2008 was used to finance security costs,” she recalled. However, “the women’s Euro 2025 differs greatly from Euro 2008, particularly in terms of the composition of the public”. Understand: the need for law enforcement will be minimal in comparison, and it will cost far less.
The central committee of the Swiss Football Association (ASF) should increase from 7 to 9 members and the two candidates are the president of the Vaud Council of State Christelle Luisier and the Bernese Green national councilor Aline Trede, the ASF said on Wednesday . “They have been committed over the last two years as part of the Swiss candidacy for Euro 2025 in favor of the sustainable development of women’s football and will have to collaborate in the future within the strategic body of the ASF,” writes the Association. They should be officially elected in June during the assembly of delegates.
