Votes show evidence of strong resistance to privatisation projects
Votes show evidence of strong resistance to privatisation projects (Les votations mettent en lumiere les fortes resistances aux projets de liberalisation)
From LE TEMPS, September 25th, 2001
Over the past few months, Swiss political views on privatisation have undergone profound changes. Several right-wing politicians have begun to reject the idea, and the conservative reaction to the US terrorist attacks has come at a critical time. Apart from airline Swissair, parliament is considering the privatisation of the electricity market, national telecoms operator Swisscom and national postal services group La Poste. Consensus on these matters is proving very hard to find.
Elections on Sunday showed that the Swiss are on the whole resistant to any attempt at liberalisation or privatisation. Nine months away from the popular vote on legislation for the electricity market, for example, a negative trend is clear. The question has divided the political world as well as sector professionals. Electricity companies have asked for a period of at least three months before the vote to establish unity within their ranks and win over the public.
Abstracted from Le Temps Abstracted from Le Temps in French. Copyright 2001 Financial Times Information, Dow Jones, Dialog
LE TEMPS, 25th September 2001
