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With the Council of States proposal, the insurance premium would only have to be paid in the event of an earthquake.
Because it is? The Council of States is making a new attempt to introduce earthquake insurance throughout Switzerland. It accepted the corresponding motion of its Committee on the Environment, Spatial Planning and Transportation with 25 to 16 votes. Numerous attempts to obtain compulsory earthquake insurance have already failed under the dome of the Bundestag building.
How has the idea failed so far? Classic fully Swiss insurance solutions always failed in the earthquake due to two things: First, not all regions are at the same risk: Valais, Basel and Grisons are the areas with the highest risk. Second, large earthquakes are rare. Therefore, it would pay for an insurance policy that might not benefit someone for many generations later. This supra-regional and transgenerational solidarity has not yet managed to win a majority in politics.
What is the latest proposal? According to the motion, the insurance premium only expires when the severe earthquake and its damages have already occurred. That actually contradicts the principle of insurance. Every homeowner in the country would then pay. A model calculation speaks of 0.7 percent of the building’s value. That would mean that after an earthquake, 20 billion Swiss francs would be raised quickly.
Why did the Council of States accept this motion? Most in the small chamber thought this groundbreaking new idea deserved a chance. Furthermore, it differs from the countless failed attempts to obtain mandatory earthquake insurance nationwide.
How does the region influence politicians in your position? The positions of the Council of States coincide to some extent with the seismic hazard map. Beat Rieder of Valais (center) said the earthquake risk had to be taken seriously and referred to the corona pandemic, which no one saw coming. Jakob Stark, Thurgau’s senior vice president, at deep earthquake risk, said such an unlikely risk should not be insured.
Such an earthquake would have far greater consequences.
What are the possibilities of the project in the National Council? That’s hard to say, says SRF Bundeshaus editor Curdin Vincenz. «The SVP rejected an insurance solution in the Council of States. The party is better represented in the National Council. On the other hand, the Greens and the Left are better represented in the National Council than in the Council of States. As is often the case, it will depend on the FDP and the center. ”But there are possibilities, Vincenz suspects.
