It was random and yet perfect Timing: Yesterday, the member of the Parliament, a parliamentary Initiative of the GLP and the BDP on the agenda for this meeting, which intends to lower the voting age in the Canton of 16. It was submitted a year ago, at the behest of the youth Parliament. In view of the protests of the climate youth, the topic is more current than ever.
“suggestibility is to big”
For the SVP, FDP, CVP, and EDU, however, no Argument to support the proposal. Hans-Peter Brunner (FDP, Horgen) admitted that he was impressed by the commitment of the protesters, young people and the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, even if this commitment was “orchestrated by adults”. Nevertheless, Much more urgent than a reduction in the voting age was to increase the notoriously deep voice and participation in the young adult: “Here we must start with the state customer, but also with education. Most of the 16-Year-old does not have a policy still in focus.”
it’s a Similar saw Erich Vontobel (EDU.): “young people should not need to deal with the Worries and troubles of adults.” Against the advancing Benjamin Fischer (SVP, Volketswil, Switzerland), and this is quite remarkable, politicized the 28-year-old President of the young SVP, but even as a 15-Year-old. Fischer assured him of the political Engagement of young people was important, but: “It takes a certain age to take political responsibility. Under the age of 18, the suggestibility is, for example, by teachers or parents.”
In Austria and Malta it works
Skeptical, the EPP showed; definitely you’ll only say Yes if the passive election right to stay excluded, said Walter Meier (type): “imagine a 16-Year-old is elected in a local Council and managed a million budget, but privately, he must teaching, not even his own contract to sign.”
This is a fairly unrealistic scenario, countered Sonja Gehrig (GLP, Urdorf), from which the proposal originates: “you Should choose, the voting public in fact, once a Minor in the municipal Council, this decision would be respected, and then a solution was found.” Gehrig pointed to the Canton of Glarus, as well as Austria and Malta, where the election and voting age 16 already knows. The same is true for the country churches in the Canton of Zurich: you already have 16-Year-old have a say. The functioning well. Nevertheless, Gehrig’s Initiative provides for a restriction: The young people should not receive the right to vote automatically, but only on Request.
Left wants to met with automatic voting rights
This restriction on the left, on the Council side to little understanding; SP, AL and Green, to grant the right to vote automatically. “Adults receive the voting documents are always at hand, and it is their personal freedom, whether they exercise their right or not,” said Silvia Rigoni (Green, Zurich). “There is no reason why that should be with young people differently.” Hannah Palatine appealed to their Ratskolleg and colleagues to take on the demands of dedicated young people seriously: “It is corrosive to one’s own future in the hands of the people, no longer have to live with their decisions too long. The boys are motivated to create a future in which they would like to live.”
Marcel lenggen Hager (BDP, Gossau), co-signatories of the Initiative, was ready to this in terms of the Ratslinken. To the address of the opponent addressed, he said, it is, first and foremost, to increase the voting participation or to strengthen the political commitment of the young: “That would be rather a welcome side effect.” It was to be assumed that the Teenager would vote selectively on issues that concern you: “this is Exactly what the opponents want to keep them away. And that’s not right.” Today’s 16-Year-old be more Mature, “than we were”.
no majority
Finally, 77 Kantonsräte of languages for the time being for the parliamentary Initiative. This is not a majority in the 180-member Parliament, but there are enough votes so that one of the Commission’s proposal, these possibly customize, and a recommendation for the final vote needs to develop. Until then, it will be the newly elected member of the Parliament at work. Well possible that the majorities are different. (Tages-Anzeiger)
Created: 18.03.2019, 16:53 PM
