“With this arrogance I almost got dizzy”: Ueli Maurer attacks the group’s initiative head on

“Me dörfs efäng nü luut säge”: Ueli Maurer on the moralizing society that is increasingly divided into good and bad. As with the corporate responsibility initiative.

Screenshot «SVP also Lüüt»

With the group’s initiative, Switzerland will become “a world policeman, so to speak,” said Ueli Maurer in his appearance on the “SVP bi de Lüt”. He wanted Swiss law to apply worldwide.

“With this initiative we say: We are the best morally, we know how to do it all over the world. All the others are a little worse. It does not suit Switzerland that we moralize around the world. ”Developing countries have different cultures, histories and conditions than Switzerland.

And then Maurer spoke to himself a bit angrily: “The arrogance behind this initiative almost made me sick.” It does not fit at all with Switzerland and its understanding of the law.

Switzerland is synonymous with security, especially in relation to other countries: it invests, it helps, it offers decent prices, it is a reliable partner. If the group’s initiative were accepted, this “certainly would not build trust,” Maurer said. “There would be a lot of uncertainty, also in relation to other countries and companies. Switzerland would give a bad image. “

The initiative as “legal fodder”

Ueli Maurer described the KVI as “legal fodder.” If the answer is yes, Switzerland must await trials. “The initiative was presented by non-governmental organizations (NGOs),” he said. “It is not only based in Switzerland, but all over the world. He will certainly try to sue Switzerland around the world. “

Switzerland will thus become a kind of “test object”. If it is possible to sue Swiss companies, it is also possible against all other companies. Maurer: “There is an avalanche of lawsuits, Switzerland is being misused as a negative role model, and the situation there is still not improving.”

Are corporations no longer investing?

The lawsuits are likely to lead many companies to wonder whether they should still invest in Switzerland in the next five, ten or 20 years, Maurer emphasized. And many companies no longer come to Switzerland. “The initiative affects Switzerland as a very centralized business location.”

Ueli Maurer: “The initiative affects Switzerland as a very centralized business location.”

«Screenshot SVP bi de Lüüt»

The same threatens developing countries. If corporations had to wait for lawsuits everywhere, they would avoid these countries. “We want fair conditions,” emphasized Maurer. “But you can’t apply the standards of rich and orderly Switzerland to them.” Otherwise, there is a risk that the population will lose jobs and income. “Especially the poorest do not have more income.”

Maurer is also against the Material Warfare Initiative.

In the conversation, Ueli Maurer clearly opposed the material war initiative. Behind this were erroneous considerations, the finance minister said. “You have to wonder what the weapons are for?” They all jumped on the statement that weapons existed to kill.

“Weapons have a completely different meaning,” Maurer emphasized. “Weapons are used to defend the weakest in society. In the event of war, we must protect those who cannot defend themselves: young, old, women. A gun is not just bad per se. “

“The board is right in front of the head”

The initiative that wants to prohibit investment in arms companies points in the wrong direction. “It means what is good and what is bad.” Weapon making is not immoral. It is immoral to stop investing in companies that contribute to defense.

In an interview, Maurer emphasized the risk of corporate initiatives and war materials in times of the crown crisis. “It is precisely in this situation, in which we have to preserve the economy, employment and social welfare, that such stupid initiatives arise that further aggravate the crisis,” he said. That’s hasty. The board is right in front of your head. Eye relief is zero, if you support these initiatives. “

Why the SVP does not have a corona opposition policy

In the question and answer session of the “SVP bi de Lüt”, a spectator wanted to know why the SVP was not doing any opposition politics to the crown. That doesn’t make sense, Maurer emphasized. “There is a high risk of infection and people are afraid. Distance is important. “

Maurer criticized the expert belief of the media and politics. And it doesn’t help if SRF’s “Tagesschau” shows the latest infection figures every day, “like the weather report.” At the same time, Maurer found praise for the Federal Council. “We don’t have to oppose the Federal Council,” he said. “The thrust of his measurements is good.”

A whole series of appearances against the group initiative

Seldom has a Federal Council raised such a strong spirit against an initiative that is not part of its department as Ueli Maurer did against the corporate responsibility initiative.

Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer had already made this clear at the SVP online delegates meeting on October 24. “Entrepreneurship Drivers (KVI) say,“ We ​​are morally better people than the rest of the world. We want to stipulate in all places where our law applies. “

Ueli Maurer was also clear at the Federal Council’s Corona press conference on November 4. In a joint appearance with Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga and Federal Councilor Viola Amherd, he actually spoke about the regulation of hardship cases in the crown crisis. At the same time, however, he emphasized: In this economic crisis, Switzerland simply could not afford to say yes to the group’s initiative.

On November 9, she even appeared in a video for the “No to extreme UVI” committee. The corporate responsibility initiative may be “well intentioned,” he says. “But in this case well-intentioned is definitely the opposite of good!”

The SVP foundation in view

Just one day later, on Tuesday evening, Maurer was interviewed by Andrea Sommer, SVP communications director for the latest issue of “SVP bi de Lüüt” – about the KVI and the “For a ban on financing producers of war material”.

Members of the SVP were able to ask questions of the Federal Council. For the adversaries of the initiative that was a central appearance. According to the SRG poll on October 23, 39 percent of the SVP base said yes or rather yes to the group’s initiative. This means that the percentage of votes in favor of the SVP is even higher than that of the FDP (32 percent). Above all, it is too high to bring down the initiative.