Bern (awp/ats) – Swiss justice which wants to put an end to the proceedings against the uncle of Bashar al-Assad, but also the USS which puts pressure on the Federal Council in negotiations with the EU and the performance of alpine solar energy largely revised downwards, make the headlines of the Sunday press. Here is the main information, not confirmed to Keystone-ATS:
Le Matin Dimanche/SonntagsZeitung: The Federal Criminal Court (TPF) wants to close the proceedings against Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, report Le Matin Sunday and the SonntagsZeitung. On November 29, the TPF informed the parties that the octogenarian defendant suffers from illnesses that prevent him from traveling and participating in his trial. The court set a final deadline for appeals. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, however, casts doubt on the suspect’s poor state of health. Rifaat al-Assad, nicknamed the “butcher of Hama”, was referred to Swiss justice in March for the bloody repression of an Islamist insurrection in this Syrian town in 1982, which killed between 10,000 and 40 ‘000 dead.
NZZ am Sonntag: The Swiss Trade Union Union (USS) calls on the Federal Council to organize an additional round of negotiations with the European Union (EU), reveals the NZZ am Sonntag. The president of the union, Pierre-Yves Maillard, sent a letter to the government earlier this week. The meeting between the President of the Confederation Viola Amherd and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, planned to formally close the negotiations, must not turn into a spectacle without content, writes the State Advisor (PS/VD) . According to him, the problems of wage protection have not yet been resolved. The USS also opposes European regulation on fees, which apparently should apply to Switzerland. Negotiations on the future of bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU are in a “delicate phase”, a spokesperson for the European Commission said on Friday.
SonntagsBlick: Right-wing and radical-right circles want to demonstrate on Saturday in Bern during the visit of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, reports SonntagsBlick. The city of Bern has received a request for authorization for an anti-European Union (EU) rally. According to the newspaper, the request comes from the founder of the anti-vaccine movement Mass-Voll, Nicolas Rimoldi. The latter did not want to comment on his plans.
Le Matin Dimanche/SonntagsZeitung: The potential for Alpine solar power is significantly lower than expected, note Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung. The energy company Axpo now estimates that photovoltaic production will be four times less than expected in 2030. In the long term, the outlook is even bleaker, since the Aargau company is counting on 0.81 terawatt hours (TWh) per year from 2050 , compared to 10 TWh previously planned. Axpo explains this significantly less favorable reassessment by opposition from landscape and nature protection organizations and much higher construction costs in the mountains due to the harsh climatic conditions of the Alps. When questioned, Swiss Energy Minister Albert Rösti acknowledges the problem. But “each installation built makes a contribution,” he adds.
NZZ am Sonntag: The SVP wants to reduce the tax on mineral oils by ten cents per liter of gasoline or diesel, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The leadership of the party and that of the parliamentary group support the proposal of their national advisor Thomas Knutti (UDC/BE). The latter intends to table a motion next week in Parliament. Motorists must receive something in return after the Swiss “no” to the extension of the motorways, because they contributed to the fund for national roads and urban traffic (FORTA), indicates the elected official in the newspaper. Nearly five billion Swiss francs from FORTA were planned for the extension of the motorways. The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), headed by UDC Federal Councilor Albert Rösti, rejects this request. “In the event of an immediate decline, FORTA would lack revenue to finance already approved projects,” he said.
Le Matin Dimanche/SonntagsZeitung: The vote of no confidence in the management board of Swiss Radio and Television RTS, supported by 80% of employees, will not prevent the continuation of the restructuring process of the public service media, warns in On Morning Sunday and the SonntagsZeitung, the director of the SSR, Susanne Wille. She says she has “full confidence” with the RTS management committee “to carry out the transformation”. However, she considers it important to “include” employees in decisions, especially since they “are difficult”. Ms. Wille says she is looking for solutions that will result in as few layoffs as possible to achieve the savings program of 270 million Swiss francs.
SonntagsBlick: Administrative clarifications are still necessary before Migros communicates on the sale of its subsidiary Hotelplan, explains group boss Mario Irminger in SonntagsBlick. Information will probably be given in the first quarter of 2025, he adds. According to SonntagsBlick, it is known in the tour operator industry that Hotelplan will be sold to the German group Dertour. Mr. Irminger declines to speculate on “potential buyers and possible consequences.”
NZZ am Sonntag: The director of the reinsurer Swiss Re, Andreas Berger, neither excludes nor confirms in the NZZ am Sonntag the elimination of positions in Zurich. The group should have more information in the first quarter of 2025, he says. “I cannot yet say how many jobs are affected.” Compared to the competition, “the reorganization will be modest,” he assures. Swiss Re intends to save $300 million by 2027. The abandonment of the digital insurance platform Iptiq and other portfolios will represent a third of the savings, says Mr. Berger. “In addition, we are also looking at other areas of the group such as finance and data technology” to save money.
Note: This information has not been confirmed by the ATS.
