The Confederation cannot stop the structural change of a company with subsidies, said Guy Parmelin on Saturday the day after the announcement of the restructuring of Swiss Steel. The steelmaker plans to cut 800 jobs in Switzerland and abroad.
“The Federal Council does not pursue an industrial policy targeted at certain sectors such as steel, even if other countries subsidize their steelworks,” recalls the Swiss Minister of the Economy in an interview broadcast by the Switzerland at the weekend.
The Confederation can, however, provide support with framework conditions and programs favorable to the economy, for example for decarbonization, he adds. More than a billion francs will be devoted next year to abandoning fossil energy sources, recalls the UDC minister.
The steel group Swiss Steel announced on Friday the elimination of 800 full-time jobs. In Switzerland, 130 of the 750 current jobs will be cut in the Emmenbrücke (LU) factory. The restructuring affects production and administrative areas.
“When jobs are lost, it’s always a tragedy,” says Guy Parmelin. “But it’s not as if the Federal Council is sitting idle,” he says. “We use our legal margin of maneuver, for example in the area of partial unemployment or with incentive programs.” But, he adds, we must also think about the consequences of the measures. “And if another branch is affected by the crisis, do we also pay?”
“Cautious optimism” with Donald Trump
Asked about the return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States in 2025, the federal advisor noted that the collaboration with the government of the Republican billionaire during his first term (2017-2021) worked well. The Vaudois UDC says it is cautiously optimistic for economic and scientific cooperation during Donald Trump’s next term.
As for the conclusion of a possible free trade agreement with the United States, the situation is approximately the same as five years ago, notes Guy Parmelin. “The conditions on both sides are not sufficiently aligned.”
