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Steep mountains here, high glazed facades: topographically and economically, the Valais and Zug cantons separate the worlds. A good reflection of this is the cash flow in the NFA National Financial Equalization. While the Wallis will receive 730 million francs next year, the canton of Zug must pay 330 million francs. A fifth of the Swiss franc spent by the Canton of Valais comes from the NFA. In contrast, every fifth of the cantonal budget in Zug flows into the NFA.
Now, the two worlds collide on the political scene. At the end of the year, a reform of the NFA will come to Parliament. If successful, donor cantons such as Zug, Zurich or Basel will have to deposit less than what they have today, but even more than what was initially agreed upon at the time of the introduction of the NFA in 2008. The donor cantons are closed behind this compromise, most of the slave cantons too. It is openly opposed only by the Wallisians and the Jura, but Bern, Friborg and Neuchâtel are also dissatisfied. In other words, the majority of cantonal governments support the bill.
"Not a good feeling"
Nevertheless, the reform is in danger. This shows an apparently harmless attempt by the CVP National Council of Valais Thomas Egger, umtriebiger's chief lobbyist for mountain areas. He asks the Federal Council for an overview of the long-term consequences of the NFA reform and the draft corporate tax law (draft Tax Law No. 17), which is also currently in Parliament. "Both reforms have a serious impact on the beneficiary cantons," says Egger. The Federal Council, however, refuses to produce a total balance sheet because it deals with two distinct models. According to Egger, the lack of transparency is all the greater as the two reforms provide for various transitional solutions for the beneficiary cantons. "I suspect that they want to buy us with these Zückerli." Today, nobody knows exactly what the consequences are for cantons like Valais. The stakes are three-digit million dollars a year. "We do not participate in such a blind flight," says Egger. For him, postponing reform for four years is a "serious option". Then you know more about the consequences of the tax bill.
In fact, there is no overview of the two models. The experts of the Swiss Confederation justify that such forecasts are very uncertain, because no one knows how the different cantons will develop during the next decade. However, the known figures for the tax bill 17 actually show that donor cantons such as Zug and Schwyz are among the biggest beneficiaries.
The Valais attack was also recorded on Lake Zug. Heinz Tännler (SVP), Chief Financial Officer of Zug, the largest NFA donor, is worried. "I do not feel well," he says. Tännler is annoyed by the sudden resistance in parliament. It is pure coincidence that control model 17 is now being discussed simultaneously. "But for the opponents of course, it's a perfect excuse for delaying NFA reform."
Tännler worries not only about Egger's initiative, but also about the Council of States Claude Hêche (SP) of Jura. Branch submitted. The big question is whether the connection Valais-Jura brings a majority to postpone the reform of the NFA. This risk is real, says Zuger Tännler. Above all, he is concerned because Parliament must adopt the NFA decision in the middle of the 2019 election year. Thus, Egger, Heche and their colleagues could put pressure on all parliamentarians of the slave cantons, feared Tännler. Which national or state council already wants to count in the election campaign, how much money loses its canton because of it.
New test?
Faced with these risks, Tännler and his government counterparts in Zug are already working on a threatening backdrop. In their statement to the Federal Council, they write that a failure would be a "clear affront to the cantons that form the basis of national prosperity". And: "Solidarity and national cohesion would be empty words". One could even consider participating in national committees such as inter-cantonal intergovernmental conferences.
An empty threat? "No, it's all our business," says Heinz Tännler. Why should Zug participate in national committees if, after many years of effort, they have not achieved anything yet? This would not be the first time that a debate on the NFA is intensifying. It was exactly the same in 2015 when, as every four years, Parliament had to decide the extent of the redistribution of the "rich" cantons to the "poor". The debate has turned into a wild chess game. After a defeated battle, the cantons came together and agreed on the compromise, which now forms the basis for the planned reform of the NFA. This will prevent traction tests in the future, but may also trigger new ones.
(Tages-Anzeiger)
Date created: 16.07.2018, 23:28
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