Pardini, Martullo-Blocher and the expensive advice

Involuntarily, holding the phone slightly away from ear. It is loud. "J'en ai marre!", Jean-Francois Rime,SVP national councillor and President of the economic Commission (WAK). He has had enough. All stand under the Commission of a mystery. "Write what you want, I'll initiate a procedure."

The nerves in the economic Commission of the national Council. What's going on?

It is the session of 29. January, Subject: Framework Agreement. The economic Commission to form an opinion. Planned consultations with experts, and – unusual for the Parliament's commissions – your own opinion on the topic. Trade unionists Corrado Pardini submit the appropriate applications, Magdalena Martullo-Blocher of the SVP is of the essence with own amendments in the same direction. In the course of the meeting, their applications will be merged – an Alliance of trade unionists and SVP of looking for the framework agreement from a variety of motives in the air. Pardini, which will later be clear, Is the two experts, Carl Baudenbacher and Philipp already been pre-contacted.

Hässige center

The middle of the whole Exercise considers useless. Reported to the FDP Manager Petra Gössi asks the Commission why the SVP wool at all legal opinions, if you reject the agreement anyway. BDP national councillor Martin Landolt, a member of the Commission, says on request, with the advice of the WAK tests "as a shadow government" attitude. The bring nothing to the main arguments of the framework agreement were already on the table.

Moreover, the experts asked in the middle as a self-conscious, Baudenbacher even highly. The former President of the Efta court criticized the Federal Council for its strategy, as the negotiations with the EU in the year 2014 started. And now, since the draft Agreement exists, Baudenbacher him miserable. This opinion he has already x-times expressed – in articles, Interviews, and in January, in a public Hearing in the Federal house. Anyone who wants to know Baudenbachers opinion, should spend no tax money for an expert opinion, representatives of the center parties.

However, the unholy Alliance could not be swayed. With 16 votes to 8 with one abstention, the Commission decided to instruct the experts. Cost: CHF 50'000. FDP, GLP and the BDP, fight back in vain.

"With the advice, the Commission is setting itself up as a shadow government."Martin Landolt, BDP national Council

The framework agreement, handle the most important social and economic policy matter of the Switzerland, says SP national councillor Corrado Pardini. "It is Central that the CTE deepens sets apart as a competent Commission." Although it is not often that a Commission of experts opinions to order, however, is statutorily and politically legitimate. "In addition, we are also in an exceptional Situation, since the Federal Council has sent the framework agreement without a clear opinion in a consultation and answers to very complex questions." SVP national councillor Martullo-Blocher align, you have no time to answer questions.

urgency?

The Problem of decision: The CTE may even make not-so-high expenses. For expenditure in excess of 10'000 Swiss francs you need the Okay of the six-member management delegation of both councils – a body of which the bureaux of the National Council and Council of States belong. On the day after the WAK-session the Commission President, Rime of both administrative delegation submits the budget request and urges them to hurry.

On 4. February is the response of the Delegation of Rime and enumerates many reasons that speak against the issue. First, they could not recognize "the urgency of the request", and secondly, she finds that the economy could consult with the Commission first, the legal experts of the Federal government. Thirdly, it warns, the whole Exercise could be a very costly precedent, if, in the future, other commissions order to any business expensive expert opinion.

Who pays?

Now it comes on 15. February the great debate: A delegation of the WAK is intended to demonstrate to the administration delegation of their arguments again. Whether the administration delegation in the second start-up and soften the credit still speaks, is questionable at the moment.

the story is to the Problem of CTE. Because at least one of the experts, Carl Baudenbacher, has carried out his job already. At 1 a.m. in the night on Friday, he presented his 49-page Expertise by E-Mail to the Commission. This means: The expert's fee, not yet approved, has been issued by the CTE to a large part already. This is a breach of a Parliament's internal Directive from the year 2008, which expenditure is more than 10'000 Swiss francs "prior to the approval of the administrative delegation" is required.

Baudenbacher not want to speak to the matter. His reaction suggests that he assumes that he has free worked.

So two questions now: Will add to the administrative delegation of the WAK and the money subsequently approve? And if not, Who paid for the report? This newspaper would have discussed these issues with President of the Commission, Rime. But obviously not in the mood to explain to the Public the conduct of his Commission.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 08.02.2019, 21:44 Uhr