Swiss parliament rejects room for silence and prayer
No quiet room is to be set up in the parliament building in Bern where politicians can retreat and pray during sessions.
On Friday, the House of Representatives voted against a motion by former Ticino parliamentarian Rocco Cattaneo by 128 votes to 38, with 27 abstentions. Cattaneo had justified his motion by saying that the hectic pace during the sessions had increased significantly due to extraordinary events. This is now off the table.
Cattaneo had argued that for some people, prayer and contemplation are valuable in order to return to work focused and reinvigorated. There are also such spaces for contemplation and meditation at airports and railway stations, for example, he said.
The administrative delegation – responsible for the ultimate management of the parliamentary administration – and the office of the House of Representatives rejected the demand. Speaker Roland Rino Büchel expressed understanding for the request and referred to the shortage of meeting rooms in the parliament building during the sessions.
It would also have to be decided what conditions should apply to the use of the room, he said. In view of the denominational neutrality of the state, the room should be available to anyone who wanted to relax spiritually. According to Büchel, there are two little-used quiet rooms for parliamentarians in the East Wing of parliament.
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