Swiss People’s Party launches fight against EU ‘submission treaty’

Swiss People's Party launches fight against "submission treaty" at assembly Keystone-SDA

Three parties are holding their delegates' meetings this Saturday. The right-wing Swiss People's Party wants to rally its party base to fight against the treaty package negotiated with the EU. The Greens and the Liberal Green Party want to launch the popular initiative for more family time.

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In its invitation to gather in Balsthal, canton Soluthurn, the Swiss People’s Party wrote that the purpose of the meeting was to “join forces” and launch “the fight for Switzerland”.

This will be a marathon. The Federal Council had approved the “subjugation treaty with the EU”, the party noted. “If we don’t fight it, it will be the end of Switzerland as we know it”.

A number of party representatives will give speeches at the delegates’ meeting.

Former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher will also make an appearance. The party lists Blocher on the agenda “as the head of the first generation in the fight against Switzerland’s integration into the EU”.

The delegates themselves will also have their say at the meeting.

Greens and GLP launch popular initiative

The left-wing Greens, meanwhile, are meeting in Peseux, canton Neuchâtel, and the centrist Liberal Greens in Thun, canton Bern. These parties want to launch the federal popular initiative for a “strong society and economy thanks to parental leave”.

The initiative provides for equal family leave of 18 weeks for both parents, paid out of the income replacement scheme. The collection of signatures for the initiative is set to begin in the spring.

The initiative is backed by a non-partisan alliance that includes the Greens and Liberal Greens, as well as the The Centre party, the women’s umbrella organization Alliance F and the workers’ umbrella organisation Travail Suisse.

The Greens are also working on a resolution on the diversity of sexual identities. For the Liberal Greens, parliamentary group president Corina Gredig will address the assembly on the package of agreements negotiated with the EU.

The People’s Party, Greens and Liberal Greens will also vote on the environmental responsibility initiative, which will be put to the Swiss electorate on February 9.

Translated from German by DeepL/ds

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