Powerplay against the Swiss aid agencies

According to the Swiss certification of 80 percent of local households place for charities to donate money for humanitarian purposes. This is the European point of view, a top spot. For comparison: In France, Austria and Sweden, 60 percent of the households would donate, in Spain and Italy, there were just 20 percent, writes Media CH. The newspaper composite indicates that in the year 2017 a total of 1.85 billion francs in donations, a record sum, were gathered.

Nevertheless, the alarm shrill at Swiss charities, the bells. "More and more see the money abroad to escape. The development assistance are uncertain times," white Media CH. The Heks had to tighten their belts and the development of cooperation in Moldova, Zimbabwe, and India end. The Hilfswerk of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, the recently published poor Pay, he has 25 employees In Switzerland and abroad terminate. "Increasingly, very powerful organizations from abroad also want a piece of this donations of cakes," explains the Heks.

but This is not the only reason, why the worry lines of the relief works bigger. The Heks, Caritas or the Swiss Red cross have to say that the Confederation shall take account of, apparently, in the case of contracts for the development assistance and foreign aid organizations. Swiss organizations have access to EU-tenders increasingly worse cards.

The decision from Brussels

in addition, the EU has decided to Commission at the end of last year, ten Swiss aid agencies to cut off his money. At least 50 million Swiss francs that Caritas, Solidar Suisse, Médecins sans Frontières, or Terre des Hommes is missing now. In a letter to the Directorate-General for Humanitarian aid and civil protection of the European Commission from 21. December 2018-founded, the authority, in Brussels, the step with the lack of a legal basis.

Video: EU wants to support Swiss NGOs No European funds: Alexander cook of World Vision Switzerland. (Video: Keystone-SDA)

Mark Herkenrath, managing Director of Alliance Sud, the interest organisation of several national charities, suspected at the time, behind the "political machinations". The EU handle in front of the Background of the approaching Brexit. The suffering, the Needy were carrying, ultimately, in developing countries, he explained to the SDA. Felix Gnehm, Co-Director of Solidar Suisse, regretted the decision. "In the medium and long term, a more important money is for us donors," he said. Now ways have to be found to work with other contributions.

the political pressure in Bern growing

in addition to the battle for the love of money the Swiss aid agencies face more problems. The environment had become in the last few years, becoming more and more difficult. "Especially for political reasons: The development cooperation of the charitable organisations is in part massively in the criticism – from our point of view, of course, wrong," the Heks compared to SRF to understand at the end of March. "First of all bourgeois politicians are demanding that the Swiss development aid serves more to the interests of the country. Funds should primarily be used where they make an impact on the Migration to Europe," writes Media CH.

The former national councillor and Director of Caritas Switzerland Hugo Fasel (CSP) warned that no stone will stay on top of the other for the Swiss development cooperation. "We might be witnessing the move most of the time, since there is development cooperation." Last summer, the Federal Council announced that the development aid should be more geared to Swiss interests. The auxiliary works are now eager to see the direction in which the government in Bern will take. After all, you also benefit from state resources (in 2017 there were 200 million Swiss francs). And the SVP, planning, and development funds in the AHV to be relocated.

The helper works an uncertain time is, therefore, not only economically, but also politically. They hope in the election year of 2019 in the fall on a victory of the left-Green, is understandable: the Left and green parliamentarians are usually compared to the development aid less critical and sceptical than the bourgeois politicians.

(fal)

Created: 10.04.2019, 19:13 PM