The nuclear plans of the liberal top cause for criticism within the party. President Thierry Burkart is trying to close the ranks. New nuclear power plants are only an option in the long term. SP Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has other plans.
Gösgen is one of the nuclear power plants that are still in operation, but the construction of new plants is prohibited.
gaf. Thierry Burkart had a clear idea of how his party should behave on internally contentious issues. It is important to think ahead at an early stage and strategically identify which issues are an opportunity for the party and which remain a challenge. This is what Burkart said before he was elected FDP President of the NZZ. The party leadership has obviously not succeeded in doing this on the nuclear issue. After the Presidential Conference recently passed a resolution to secure the electricity supply by 2050, a public dispute broke out.
The strategy paper includes a passage that aims to lift the ban on new nuclear power plants. “When expanding and replacing existing domestic production facilities, there must be no legal technology bans.” The prerequisites must be created in order to permit the new generation of nuclear power plants in particular. Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher, St. Gallen National Councilor and President of the FDP Women, spoke of a wrong and misleading signal. This torpedoes the effort to expand renewable energies, she told the “NZZ am Sonntag”. The Vaud national councilor Jacqueline de Quattro and FDP exponents from the second row also criticized.
No technology bans
Now the FDP President Thierry Burkart has joined the dispute. In an interview with the Tamedia newspapers, he regretted that Vincenz-Stauffacher did not present his arguments in the presidential conference. The fact that Switzerland must massively expand renewable energies is undisputed. In the event that the capacities should not be sufficient, however, all possible solutions must be considered. The members of the Conference of Presidents conducted the discussion on the premise that Switzerland would become climate-neutral by 2050. A liberal party should not ban technologies on the way to this goal.
Burkart also resisted claims that the FDP wanted to build new nuclear power plants immediately. Based on the current technology, no investor would be willing to do this, he said. But nuclear power is evolving. “That’s why it should be an option in the long term to secure the power supply.” As long as the legal prohibition exists, this is not possible.
However, the FDP President was also self-critical. “I could have accompanied the process better.” He believed his party had learned from the mistakes of recent years. The Zurich cantonal party had introduced the proposal to lift the nuclear power plant ban. The assembly of delegates of the Freisinnigen is to decide on the resolution and the motion on February 12th.
New requirements for homeowners
In one of its next meetings, the Federal Council is also to deal with securing the power supply and the expansion of renewable energies. According to the newspapers from CH-Media, Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga (sp.) is aiming for a solar obligation for homeowners. She sent a corresponding proposal to the federal government for the internal office consultation.
According to this, a solar system should be installed on the roofs or facades of new buildings. Exceptions are only provided if the installation is not economically or technically possible. A waiver should also be possible if the construction contradicts other regulations, such as the protection of the townscape or monument protection.