Christian Imark, the Steel Fist +++ Albert Rösti Exporting Swiss Railway Wonder +++ SP Criticizes Their Former Chief in Post Position +++ Announcements from Bundesgasse
Ganz sicher vielleicht
fab.
One of the most challenging forms of political expression is the well-tempered determination: The art lies in showing convincingly that one really wants to tackle a problem – without definitively committing. For example, when employees of the Gerlafingen steelworks (SO) demonstrated in front of the Federal Palace last week, even conservative politicians felt compelled to publicly express their concern.
SVP National Councillor Christian Imark (also from SO) stood out. As he spoke to the workers on Bundesplatz, raising his fist with a piece of Gerlafingen steel defiantly towards the sky – he could have easily passed for a trade unionist, noted the “Solothurner Zeitung” in amazement.
Imark is not only a part-time trade unionist but also the President of the Commission for Environment, Spatial Planning, and Energy. He promptly put the topic on the agenda for the same day’s meeting. What resulted was a top-class communique: The commission is concerned about the situation in steel production. “It will consider what action options exist and whether immediate measures need to be taken at the next opportunity.”
In other words: they will definitely maybe consider not taking extreme measures extremely quickly, or possibly immediately. And so on.
Inder mögen Rösti
Albert Rösti has been under suspicion from day one by the red-green camp: they accuse him of wanting to reverse the energy transition, derail transport policy, and exterminate half the fauna. In the current referendum campaign, the focus is primarily on transportation. Rösti and his companions must step up their game in the race for highway expansion to overtake their opponents.
Perhaps it will help if Rösti shows that he also has a heart for the railway. Lo and behold: Just on Tuesday, his department announced that he wants to deepen international cooperation in railways – with India. This may come as a surprise. Will we soon be riding in a Dosto to Delhi?
Unfortunately, no. Instead, it is about technical collaborations and potential contracts for local companies. And anyway, it is understandable that Rösti did not choose the usual suspect for the new railway liaison: Germany. They want to complete the project in this millennium.
Rot-gelber Riese
When the Post downsizes, things get moving. This old rule was confirmed on Tuesday: as soon as the top of the no longer so huge yellow giant announced that they would further reduce the branch network, criticism quickly followed. The Social Democrats, in particular, expressed their discontent. They lamented management errors and expressed concern about the ongoing downsizing.
And this, even though since 2021, former SP leader Christian Levrat has been serving as the President of the Post. His party vocally criticizes that the Post is increasingly shifting its activities to low-wage sectors. Meanwhile, Levrat himself, with 270,000 Swiss Francs for a 50% position, is increasingly moving into the high-wage sector.
The case shows: Levrat may not have overcome capitalism, but his inhibitions towards it.