Elderly Swiss want more political recognition

Retirees and elderly people, meeting in a special session in parliament Thursday demanded political recognition and called for solidarity between the young and the old.

Retirees and elderly people, meeting in a special session in parliament Thursday demanded political recognition and called for solidarity between the young and the old.

More than 300 people both from Switzerland and abroad attended the third session for the aged in the capital Berne, with delegates mainly debating social security reforms, welfare payments and old age pensions.

“Old people are not a fringe group of Swiss society,” said Agostini Tarabusi, president of an umbrella organisation for senior citizens groups. “Old age must be seen as something valued and precious and should not be associated with failing abilities and deficiencies.”

Among the concrete political demands raised were the formation of a government commission to address the needs and demands of senior citizens.

Delegates argued that it was high time that such a political body be set up since there are already equivalent commmissions lobbying for the rights of the young and women.

Delegates were demanding that society accept and fully integrate the aged. And they added that they want to be given the political tools to help shape the policies that mostly affect senior citizens.

They pointed the finger at discriminatory age limitations for certain health insurance coverage, membership of party committees and executive boards. Constitutional amendments coming into force in January 2000 will make age discrimination illegal.

In her address to the special session, Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss said that citizens should be able to decide for themselves, up to a degree, as to when they want to retire, and that early retirement should not lead to massive financial losses.

She came out strongly against cutting medical services for the elderly and that senior citizens must be allowed to age with dignity.

Dreifuss also made an impassioned appeal for solidarity between the young and the old, saying that maintaining a bond between age groups was of vital importance for the country’s social cohesion.


From staff and wire reports.