The initiative was handed in more than two years ago calling for cuts in subsidies for the city of Bern from public coffers ("No taxpayer's money for Bern's Reitschule centre!")
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The Supreme Court has endorsed a decision to declare invalid a people’s initiative aimed at closing a popular but controversial culture centre in the Swiss capital, Bern.
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Борьба вокруг бернского центра «Райтшуле» продолжится
Rejecting an appeal by the promoters of the initiative, the court announced on Wednesday that the plan by the youth wing of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party ignored legal principles, including the autonomy of local authorities, and “exceeded any reasonable measure”.
The initiative, which collected the necessary number of signatures two years ago, called for a CHF54.1 million ($56.2 million) cut in annual subsidies for the city of Bern from public coffers in effort to shut the ReitschuleExternal link centre.
The promoters accused the five-member court as politically biased, according to Swiss public radio, SRF.
Rightwing political groups argue voters should have the final say on the centre, which they often see as hotbed of leftwing militants and drug dealers.
At least five local votes have thrown out proposals for the closure of the self-governed centre since the 1990s.
The Reitschule is a popular late-night and weekend venue but it has regularly been the scene of skirmishes with police. It has also been a major point of contention between political groups in Bern since the 19th-century building was occupied by squatters in the 1980s.
Regardless of the latest court verdict, voters in the city of Bern will have the final say in June on another credit package for the centre.
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Controversial culture centre closes
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The organisers on Saturday announced the Reitschule centre would remain closed until further notice because it could no longer tolerate the situation which often escalates at weekends and at night, including clashes with police. The organisers said they were tired of bearing the brunt and taking the blame for social problems arising from a mistaken…
Bern’s divisive culture centre likely headed to court
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Instead of voters, the Supreme Court could now have the final say on a rightwing proposal to close down a controversial culture venue.
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