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Corona leaks, indiscretions: Keeping track of the case is not easy. An overview.
It’s all about this: Federal Councilor Alain Berset’s former head of communications, Peter Lauener, has repeatedly passed confidential information on the Federal Council’s corona policy to the head of the Ringier publishing house, Marc Walder. This was revealed by “Switzerland at the weekend”. On January 14th and 21st, the newspaper published excerpts from the correspondence between Lauener and Walder, which prove that the two were in lively exchange. According to “Schweiz am Sonntag”, “Blick”, which belongs to Ringier, knew several times during the pandemic which decisions the Federal Council would make. At the same time, it was noticeable that Health Minister Alain Berset in particular – but not only – was well received in the wide-ranging Ringier media.
Why was the political and media outcry so great? On the one hand, “Blick” was sometimes a step ahead of the executive due to the indiscretions. For example, when it comes to vaccine procurement: Even before the Federal Council meeting, “Blick” read what the vaccine deal should look like. The Federal Council was thus faced with a fait accompli. It cannot be ruled out that the government came under pressure as a result. According to the “Switzerland at the weekend”, this is also evident from the interrogation of Lauener by the special investigator Peter Marti.
Legend:
Federal President Alain Berset answered questions from journalists this week about alleged leaks from the Department of the Interior.
Keystone/Anthony Anex
On the other hand: Such a systematic, secret and exclusive exchange of information at the highest level is classified as dangerous by media scientists. Can media professionals really still report critically and independently under such conditions? Are the media still doing justice to their role as the fourth estate in the state?
What does Special Counsel Peter Marti have to do with it? For this you have to take a look at the affair about the so-called crypto affair. Confidential information from an investigation report into the secret service affair was leaked to the media before publication. Special investigator Peter Marti – used by the supervisory authority over the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (AB-BA) – should clarify who leaked the information from the report. Marti came across an exchange between Peter Lauener and Marc Walder during the Corona crisis. A chance find.
Alain Berset says: Federal President Alain Berset assured that he had no knowledge of such indiscretions from his department (from ex-head of communications Lauener), as announced by Federal Council spokesman André Simonazzi. Berset also made it clear this week during an appearance on the French-speaking Swiss broadcaster RTS that he would not say anything before the end of the investigation by the Business Audit Commission (GPK).
Ringier says: Around two weeks after possible corona leaks became known, Ringier’s board of directors set up a working group to develop a “journalistic mission statement” for the group. At the same time, he is “unreservedly” behind CEO Marc Walder. The “Switzerland at the weekend” is currently reporting that the alleged contacts between Lauener and Walder that were revealed would have internal consequences for the Ringier CEO. The “Blick” editor-in-chief will report to the publisher Michael Ringier in the future. Walder therefore no longer has any say in the Blick Group.
This is how it goes now: The GPK of the National Council and Council of States have set up a six-person working group to clarify the allegations of indiscretion in connection with measures against Covid-19. All six parties are represented with their own parliamentary groups. And last but not least, a third special investigator employed by the AB-BA is now to investigate who leaked the Corona protocols to “Switzerland at the weekend”.