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Current Federal President Guy Parmelin comments on the Federal Council’s response to the pandemic in the “SonntagsZeitung”. He admits that coordination between the various levels of the Swiss state could be improved.
Nevertheless, it is important to analyze the weak points in order to prepare even better for the next crisis.
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SVP Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin is available to answer questions from the “SonntagsZeitung” on how the pandemic has been handled so far.
Federalism is part of direct democracy and yet, especially in crisis situations, it is sometimes “cumbersome” and “complicated”.
In the coming year, Guy Parmelin will be replaced as Federal President by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. In retrospect, in an interview with the “SonntagsZeitung”, he commented on the past year and made confessions. Basically, however, he is behind Switzerland’s hesitant corona strategy.
But it is important to «analyze the weaknesses of federalism in crises», according to the SVP Federal Council. It is now necessary to learn the necessary lessons from the pandemic. Naturally be federalism sometimes cumbersome and complicated. But the decisions are all broadly based, as the two referendums since the beginning of the pandemic have shown.
But: “Federalism belongs to Switzerland like the amen in the church»Continues Parmelin. But you can work on optimizations, “for example in the interplay between the levels of government».
Pay more attention to national supply
Basically, it is now important to pay attention to the national supply. “There is currently a worrying rise in prices for individual foods,” said Parmelin. Since Switzerland is 45 percent dependent on food from abroad, so the “SonntagsZeitung” on. At the same time, you have to ask yourself what is happening, when two crises occur at the same time – for example a pandemic and at the same time a lack of electricity.
In terms of drug supply, however, it is the wrong time to start manufacturing drugs. Instead, good conditions have to be created. Switzerland must, for example, promote its position as a production location in domestic research, development and production of vaccines.