Analysis to the financial responsibility initiative – The tactical in the NationalratWie the group is combat responsibility initiative, best? A narrow conservative majority in the national Council says: using the indirect counter-proposal.MeinungBeni Gafner0 Comment was for a counter-proposal: Federal councillor Karin Keller-Sutter.Alessandro della Valle (Keystone)

At the end, rushed it. And this, after the National Council and Council of States for almost three years it had discussed, as a counter-proposal to the group responsibility initiative might look like. The second session of the week was ushered in on Monday as the SVP-Federal house group, a decisive group meeting gathered. The ongoing question hour allowed for the absence of the majority of the SVP national Council members. Behind closed doors, they discussed briefly and it is understood that hard, as the group responsibility initiative of more than 100 human rights organizations, the political Left and some of the citizens of either side to overcome.

The result of the group’s internal vote, which was 29 to 14 (with 3 abstentions, including that of Magdalena Martullo), was finally decisive for the rather poor decision in a plenary session. 99 members of the Council voted for the application to a conciliation conference, and thus for the indirect counter-proposal of the Council of States. 91 (mainly left) wanted to submit the popular initiative to the vote of the people in the Nude, so to speak, on tutti go, what the waiver would have a counter-proposal.

“This counter-proposal is ineffective.”

Sibel Arslan, Green

Now, on Monday, the prevailing scarce national Council a majority believes the benefits in the vote fight on their side. The Initiative was to fight with a counter-proposal better. The Zurich national councillor Barbara stone man had made in the SVP group, to the page of party President Albert Rösti and group chief Thomas Aeschi for the counter-proposal. She says: “Behind the fact that a majority of the SVP-group is in support of the counter-proposal, is the idea that the adoption of the Initiative is to be prevented.” Stone-man and group chief Aeschi said on enquiry that it was “a tactical Yes.” You have Left and initiators with a waiver of a counter-proposal is not in the hands want to play.

However, 13 members of the SVP-group is rejected in the national Council the counter-proposal. The leaders of these SVP-minority, the Zurich-born Alfred Heer, Hans-Ueli Vogt, Mauro Tuena and the Schwyzer Pirmin Schwander. The behavior of the SVP is remarkable, because she had refused up until yesterday, a counter-design. Now she is on the attitude of the FDP – and mid-group swung; it is now – no less remarkable – on the same line with the economic umbrella organisation Economiesuisse, the party criticized on other occasions, often, and hard.

mandatory reporting

The political situation at the time of group responsibility initiative is clear. The Green Sibel Arslan (BS) speaks of an Alibi against the proposal. “This counter-proposal is ineffective,” she says, “he should only serve the purpose of the voting population believe that the policy against the human rights violations by corporations.” Similar to Baptiste Hurni, the new Burger SP-national councillor says it. For him, a Mirage, a wall of fog that is the counter-proposal “”.

calls in October 2016 submitted to the group responsibility initiative for global corporations headquartered in Switzerland are a set of rules, so that human rights and environmental standards in their global activities. The core of the Initiative, the due diligence obligation, which will be introduced in the case of an adoption by the people and stands new. A Swiss group neglects this obligation, he must pay for damage, the subsidiary and supplier companies cause abroad.

The yesterday in the national Council approved an indirect counter-proposal for the majority, by contrast, an internationally coordinated solution, as it applied in other countries and in the EU is a risk. The counter-proposal stated in addition to existing liability standards in Switzerland and was for the economy to bear. It contains no new rules on liability, but reporting obligations for companies, when it comes to conflict minerals or child labour.

comments please Log in to comment