Switzerland – Study: Federalism a challenge, not an obstacle …
(MENAFN- Swissinfo) In the federal structure of Switzerland, the 26 cantons have extensive autonomy. Keystone / Urs Flüeler
According to a study by the Avenir Suisse think tank, the Swiss cantons overcame the pandemic with varying degrees of success. However, to better manage the pandemic, clarity about the roles and responsibilities of the various authorities is needed.
This content was published on December 15, 2021 – 11:03 a.m. December 15, 2021 – 11:03 a.m. Keystone-SDA / jdp
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“Federalism has passed the litmus test of the pandemic,” said an interim analysis of the canton’s reactions to the pandemic published on Wednesday by the business-oriented liberal think tank. This was shown by several of the 26 cantons, which performed well in many aspects of pandemic management.
However, the study authors state that there have been challenges that are partly “self-inflicted” or are due to institutional deficiencies in Switzerland’s federal system.
“In order to be better prepared for future crises, we need, among other things, more thorough crisis prevention, clear responsibilities and efforts to unbundle federal structures,” the authors say.
Since the government declared the pandemic to be an “exceptional situation” in March 2020, the federal government has been responsible for announcing nationwide measures to contain the pandemic. However, the cantonal authorities still have a lot of autonomy in many aspects of the pandemic response.
The study by Avenir Suisse analyzed the reaction of the cantons in several key aspects such as contact tracking, hospital management, vaccination rollout and school protection measures. She found that the effectiveness of dealing with the pandemic varied across the cantons. The speed of vaccination differed from canton to canton, so that an “impression of hesitation” arose, which continued in the refreshment campaign.
Different approaches can also be found in the cantonal approach to school protection. The decision to carry out Covid-19 tests largely depended on the financial and human resources used, according to the study. When the number of cases was high in autumn 2021, only the cantons of Zug and Graubünden carried out regular school tests (twice a week).
Roles and responsibilities
The results point to some key challenges facing the federal system. One is using different systems for things like contact tracking and data recording.
“The flow of information between the cantons could not be ensured because they have different contact tracking systems,” the think tank stated in a statement. “A comprehensive contact tracing system is urgently required.”
The authors also emphasize the need for a better flow of information and the delimitation of roles and responsibilities between the cantonal authorities, the federal government and the cantonal health departments. What is interpreted by the public as hesitation and hesitation on the part of the cantons, Avenir Suisse explains, is in reality the result of a lack of clarity of roles, which makes it difficult for the cantons to be operational.
The cantonal health directorates responded to the report that federalism was not an obstacle. “There is no evidence that centralized countries can basically cope better with the crisis,” said spokesman Tobias Bär of the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
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