Justice Council of States committee wants to protect Marco Chiesa from investigation
Freedom of expression is important in election campaigns. The responsible committee of the Council of States is therefore not lifting the immunity of SVP Councillor of States Marco Chiesa in connection with investigations into an SVP election campaign.
08.10.2024, 16:02
08.10.2024, 16:03
SDA
The Bernese judiciary is investigating whether the SVP campaign with the slogan "New normality?" from 2023 violated the anti-discrimination norm. The campaign used the slogan "New normality" to denounce criminal acts committed by asylum seekers. Criminal complaints were therefore filed in several cantons, including Bern.
The Bernese Attorney General's Office therefore requested that the immunity of Chiesa - who was SVP President during the campaign - and also of the then SVP National Councillor and SVP General Secretary Peter Keller be lifted. Chiesa was re-elected as a member of the Council of States in the fall of 2023; he has since relinquished the party presidency.
The Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of States (RK-S) did not waive Chiesa's immunity by 8 votes to 2, as the Parliamentary Services announced on Tuesday. It found that there was a substantive connection between Chiesa's mandate, his leading position in the SVP and, in particular, the organization of the federal election campaign.
The free expression and formation of opinion was of paramount importance in the context of the democratic election campaign. This also included potentially polarizing statements. The interest in the parliament's ability to function should be given greater weight than the interest in criminal prosecution.
Next up is the National Council's Immunity Committee. If it comes to the same conclusion as the Council of States committee, the case is closed. If it disagrees, the dossier will return to the Council of States Committee.
