Despite intense lobbying from the right and economic circles, the Federal Council remained adamant. He did not want to reopen all businesses on April 27. He even took a step back. He reversed his decision to authorize grocery stores, such as Migros or Coop, to expand the sale of their assortment. Red adhesive strips will therefore remain taped on the shelves which offer items deemed non-essential.
Why this turnaround? Alain Berset explains that the Federal Council has been sensitive to the complaints of small traders who shouted at the distortion of competition with department stores. “Our decision had caused great confusion.”
But rather than putting everyone on the same level by opening the valves to all businesses, the government prefers to tighten the tap. Why this caution? “We have seen that even in the cantons most affected by the epidemic, the rate of people in contact with the virus is still low, less than 10%,” explains Alain Berset. So we are very far from group immunity. ” The dread of the Federal Council is a resumption of the epidemic which would wipe out all the efforts made.
A significant cost
This will to open all the shops only on May 11th has a significant cost, however. Finance Minister Ueli Maurer encrypted it. “According to experts, the shutdowns affecting the Swiss economy cost 5 billion a week. And the longer we wait, the more it costs. ” He also gave an initial assessment of the cost of the epidemic to federal finances. “I estimate that this could amount to an annual operating budget of 70 billion francs.”
The PLR immediately expressed its disappointment at not seeing all the stores reopen as quickly as possible. The tone is quite different in French-speaking Switzerland. “The Federal Council has corrected an incomprehensible injustice,” said Yves Menoud, employer secretary of the New Organization of Entrepreneurs (NODE), in Geneva. Fairness is now respected, it accommodates a reopening on May 11.
Petition withdrawn
The independent bookstores, too, turned against the prospect of seeing supermarkets selling their entire assortment, including books, claiming victory. Their petition calling for equal treatment collected more than 8,000 signatures in a few days. “We will withdraw it.” Our goal is achieved, we have drawn the attention of the Federal Council to our cause “, reacts Olivier Babel, secretary general of LivreSuisse, the association of distributors, booksellers and publishers.
Pascal Vandenberghe, director of Payot bookstores, had personally put pressure on him by writing to Alain Berset. “We could not accept such unfair competition. Luckily, the Federal Council has become aware of what is involved in such a thoughtless decision. ” Beyond the satisfaction linked to this “stage victory”, the boss maintains the impression of a gap between the political world and the economic reality on the ground. “It seems like the decisions are made by people who live in another world.”
Masked hairdressers
There are sectors, such as hairdressers, who are delighted to be able to reopen on Monday. But they will have to do so by respecting hygiene regulations and, for some, by obliging staff and customers to wear a mask. The Federal Council has actually moved a bit on the matter. While he defended the wearing of a simple Beijing mask at the start of the crisis, he admits it today for certain branches of the economy. As of Monday, and for two weeks, it will supply one million masks per day to the main retail businesses. Afterwards, we will see, because stocks remain thin due to the fierce international competition to obtain them.
Under these conditions, should we not encourage the population to make their own washable mask by broadcasting a tutorial approved by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)? Obediently from the authorities. Alain Berset is ready to start working on fabric masks only if they are made by industry and have a certification. Daniel Koch of the OFSP is even more negative: “It is wrong to think that having a homemade mask on your nose is better than nothing. On the contrary, it can be dangerous if it is misused and if it provides a false sense of security. ”
Created: 04.22.2020, 10 p.m.
–
