Bern issues veiled threats to rebel cantons

Pixabay

There have been veiled threats from Bern to those cantons which are still allowing mountaintop terraces to stay open.

The health minister Alain Berset says the law is clear – all terraces must be closed.

Canton Graubünden has taken the hint and closed its terraces.

But others, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Uri, Glarus, Schwyz and Ticino are still defying the federal instruction. 

Federal insiders are telling the press the cantons may find coronavirus relief funds being cut off if they don’t relent. 
That is likely to be worth several hundred million francs. 

But maybe the cantons hope to keep the argument going long enough until, March 22nd, when terraces are likely to be allowed to open anyway. 
 

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play