The “yes of February 9” is less than ten days old and the fight for foreign contingents has already started: Ten cities are putting pressure on and are unequivocally demanding that the Federal Council be involved in implementing the initiative. The peripheral regions of Switzerland and Grisons in particular would do well to take action immediately, writes Alessandro Della Vedova*
In their open letter to the Federal Council, the ten city presidents from St. Gallen to Geneva leave no doubt about their intentions: Although they write in flowery terms about cohesion in Switzerland and solidarity, they also repeatedly stress the importance of cities, their educational institutions and their economy for the entire country. The letter concludes in clear terms: “We call on the Federal Council to consistently involve the cities [...] in the implementation work [...].” It is not surprising that ten city presidents came together in record time to reach a common position.
In essence, they are concerned with large quotas of foreigners and thus their economic performance. On the other hand, it seems surprisingly quiet in the mountainous and peripheral regions and in the canton of Grisons. The mountain cantons, with their focus on tourism and in particular Grisons with its borders with foreign countries, have a great deal to lose in implementation. Our holiday resorts and their suppliers from Graubünden would no longer function without foreign personnel, and the border areas in the southern valleys are already closely connected with the southern neighboring country.
If the Canton of Grisons and other mountain cantons do not take action immediately, our economy will face disadvantages that should not be underestimated. Excessively small quotas of foreigners can suddenly nullify growth in companies in the Alpine valleys. The depopulation of mountain areas, which is already a major problem today, would worsen significantly. The cantonal government and our federal parliamentarians are now challenged: They must ensure that the special conditions in the peripheral regions of the country, and this ultimately includes almost the entire canton of Grisons, are taken into account when implementing the initiative.
The successful alliance of the mountain cantons following the adoption of the second home initiative has shown that even the sparsely populated mountain cantons can achieve something if they only work together consistently. I am eagerly awaiting the next steps from the Graubünden government.
Alessandro Della Vedova is Vice President of CVP Grisons, Grand Council of the Poschiavo District and Podestà of the Municipality of Poschiavo.
This text appeared in the Southeast Switzerland, February 18, 2014.