Parliament approves multi-billion Swiss Covid aid package
Heated debated and compromises marked the discussions in parliament about amendments to the Covd law.
Keystone/Peter Schneider
Companies and individuals affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will be able to benefit from additional financial support of about CHF12 billion ($13 billion).
This content was published on
1 minute
swissisnfo.ch/urs
Español
es
COVID-19: Parlamento suizo aprueba ayuda multimillonaria
On Thursday, both the House of Representatives and the Senate signed off on funds for emergency aid, compensation for short-time work and unemployment schemes.
This is CHF2 billion more than the government had proposed. Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said the latest decisions would cause annual deficit of at least CHF30 billion this year.
Over the past nearly three weeks, parliamentarians haggled over special conditions for potential beneficiaries of government aid, including event organisers and sports clubs as well as one person companies and low-income earners.
A special clause was added to the Covid law, allowing the government to invest in the production of medical goods, notably vaccines.
Only a minority of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party in the House voted against the compromise solutions. The Senate approved them unanimously.
The amended Covid legislation and the government’s policy were among the main issues of the current spring session which is due to end on Friday.
The law will be put to a nationwide vote in June after campaigners collected enough signatures to force a referendum.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Abbot of Saint-Maurice steps down following sex abuse report
This content was published on
Jean Scarcella has decided to step down as Abbot of Saint-Maurice in the Swiss canton of Valais, the abbey announced on Saturday.
Philipp Matthias Bregy named new president of Centre Party
This content was published on
Valais National Councillor Philipp Matthias Bregy is the new President of the Centre Party. The delegates elected him as the successor to Gerhard Pfister on Saturday in Bern without discussion.
Global call for active neutrality launched from Geneva
This content was published on
A number of players have launched a worldwide appeal for active neutrality in Geneva at a time when the major powers are taking a tougher line. The city is competing with Vienna to attract an international congress on this issue in 2026.
This content was published on
The M'Tongé gorilla has died at Basel Zoo at the age of 26. The dominant male had to be euthanised on Friday morning owing to a parasite infection.
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has been invited to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Swiss canton coordinates donations for landslide destroyed village
This content was published on
The Swiss canton of Valais to form committee to coordinate CHF 57.4 million donations for village destroyed by a landslide.
Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified
This content was published on
The body of 64-year-old man, who has been missing since part of the Brich glacier collapsed on the Swiss village of Blatten has been found.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.