Switzerland’s neighbours are ‘not role models’ in fiscal policy, says finance minister

Keller-Sutter said the governing coalition in Germany, for example, had famously collapsed over financial policy. Keystone-SDA

Swiss finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter defended the country's compliance with the debt brake on Saturday. Healthy finances are not a matter for accountants, but of fundamental importance to state policy, she said.

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Healthy finances ensure that Switzerland remains capable of action, said Keller-Sutter at a meeting of her party, the Radical-Liberals, on Saturday. Casting a glance at neighbouring countries, she said the governing coalition in Germany, for example, had famously collapsed over financial policy.

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In Austria, negotiations to form a coalition government had broken down over budget issues, she pointed out. France was unable to reach stability due to its financial situation and Italy was heavily indebted.

“They are simply not role models,” said Keller-Sutter, who holds this year’s rotating presidency of Switzerland. “We have to do things differently and fight to ensure that the debt brake is adhered to.”

At the heart of the Radical-Liberals delegates’ meeting is a debate on Switzerland’s economically “liberal success model”, which the party wants to strengthen.

Translated from German with DeepL/gw

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