Switzerland’s top seven federal ministers are to lost their free access to the country’s ski resorts after criticism the perk was inappropriate when many taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet.
For years, Switzerland’s ski lift operators handed out free lift passes to the federal councillors, who serve as the country’s collective head of state, and their families. The perk was also extended to retired ministers and numerous officials in Swiss cantons.
When the existence of the perk was revealed by national broadcaster RTS and criminal proceedings began over a potential conflict of interest, the government simply passed on the bill – some 4,234 Swiss francs (£3,721) per person – to the taxpayer by having it covered by the state budget.
Asked why he should keep it, Christophe Darbellay, a minister in the canton of Valais, sparked mockery by insisting free lift passes were “a long-standing custom, totally transparent”.
He added: “It’s a working tool, and I have a great many meetings with company directors and mayors on the slopes.”
Now the Federal Council has ruled that starting next year, the free lift passes will be scrapped, along with another perk granting councillors free access to a special box in Berne’s municipal theatre.
Critics had pointed out that the federal councillors should have no difficulty paying for their own passes given their vast annual salaries of more than 400,000 francs.
Thomas Blasi, a national councillor, said: “In a period of opulence, it is understandable that there should be some advantages at the head of the state.
“But in the current situation, I would consider it normal for our politicians, who are particularly well paid, to make an effort; there’s no need to spend taxes on that.”
The controversy had deepened in the wake of last month’s referendum in which Swiss voters overwhelmingly backed a proposal to increase pensions by adding a 13th month each year starting from 2026 to help the aged deal with the rising cost of living – against the wishes of the Right-wing coalition government.
Referendum interventions angered voters
The pension boost will cost the state up to five billion francs extra per year.
During the referendum campaign, Right-wing parties and employers spared no effort in seeking to dissuade their fellow citizens from voting for such “French-style statism”.
They wheeled out five former ministers, two of whom were in their eighties and had long since retired from the affairs of state, to warn of the risk of an impending “collapse of the system”.
But their strategy provoked anger from the electorate at being lectured by retired officials who enjoy an annual pension of 230,000 francs for life and often supplement this with seats on the boards of some of the country’s most powerful companies. These retired federal councillors also enjoyed free access to ski lifts.
Despite the loss of the free ski lifts, ministers and their partners and predecessors will continue to enjoy free first class train travel around Switzerland for life.
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