“This concentration of power is dangerous”

Excerpts from Swiss Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer’s speech on 12 September 2021 in Wald ZH on the keywords “morals”, “power”, “experts”, “respect” and “fundamental values”

(27 October 2021) Edit. What has been learned about Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer lately? His wearing a white T-shirt with a “Freiheitstrychler” imprint¹ caused a lot of fuss in the Swiss media. However, his speech at a citizens’ meeting in the Zurich Oberland² found little echo in the media. For this reason, “Swiss Standpoint” presents some of the central statements of his speech, which was delivered in Swiss German.

Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer warned of the dangers of a power concentration in Bern and of “moralising” that would lead to a division of society.

Just as one could observe that Brussels was seizing more and more power from the member states, something similar could also be observed in Switzerland. Of course, Maurer brought up the Covid-19 rules. He pointed out that unelected “experts” were running the show: “this concentration of power and this usurping of power has increased massively in recent times, if we think of all the measures that are now being decided in Bern. There is a handful of experts, not elected by anyone – they are certainly clever people, they certainly have their point of view – but they are seizing power. Currently, they can say what is good, what is morally good and what is bad. This concentration of power taking place is very, very dangerous.”

At this point, it should be noted that this “gaining of power” is not a passive process and the selection of the “experts” is no coincidence. The Federal Council itself is the decisive factor.

Enjoying power

If one thinks further about the problems raised by Federal Councillor Maurer, there is a basic problem behind it, as it can happen in any democracy, meaning a possible “take-off” of the government. The executive no longer feels committed to its citizens. If this is the case, other forces gain influence on government action. The striving for power, for more and more power, combined with the feeling that one can do it better than others, is better informed and can actually decide oneself, is a basic problem of any delegation of power. It needs dispersion and a distribution of power; it needs to be broken: it’s about “check and balance”, control by the people, otherwise the fatal step towards elite rule is short indeed.

Maurer self-critically points out that the Federal Council has surrendered power to the “experts” or rather have them participate in the increase in power. Quote: “The Federal Council is playing along. The Federal Council has also enjoyed power. I’m saying this self-critically: 'for once we are the ones to ‘tell everybody where to get off’, this is the tendency more or less. And in this tendency to take power, the Federal Council has written laws and ordinances [on Covid] that pronounce in detail how men and women should behave or not. If you look at the level of detail in the current legislation, you can perceive how the joy of power has suddenly grown. You can also see this in the media appearances. Now they feel they are the ones in charge, they have the power, they are morally better. That’s the result. The concentration of power is dangerous”.

One has to describe it as indicative of Ueli Maurer’s attachment to the country and the people that he reflects on his role as Federal Councillor and also on a political process that is not without danger. – It would be desirable for policy-makers to reflect more often on their own role in a self-critical manner.

Counterweight against power concentration

Maurer calls for a counterforce, a counterweight, to put the unhealthy power concentration back in its place: “If there is a counterweight to resist this concentration of power, then it can be stopped or prevented. And in this power concentration – which is particularly evident right now, but has actually been visible for some time – there is also a certain resignation among the population. Or are we doing too well and simply don’t care? But if we don’t act for the good of our country, then the others will do it, those who are in power; then they take over.” Maurer describes the rejection of the CO2 law by the people as a successful defence against such a concentration of power because it would have put enormous power into the hands of the state apparatus and the Federal Council. At the same time, he outlines reasons for a weak counterforce: resignation, lack of interest from doing too well. It is obvious that this vacuum is being filled.

Respect for each other

In the Covid question Federal Councillor Maurer addresses the issue of “moralising”, i.e. that one position declares itself to be better and feels in the right in order to dictate to the rest how they should behave. He rejects this and contrasts it with respectful behaviour: “so, for all of us, this means to treat each other with respect by accepting the other’s opinion. Live and let live and try in any personal contact to be considerate of the other’s opinion or differing behaviour. I think this is a challenge only the population can solve.”

“We have reduced the number of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds”

Maurer sees a wrong decision in the certificate requirement brought about by the wrong ICU bed policy: “In the health policy sector, I think the Federal Council and the authorities have failed. If you think back to last year’s lockdown [February to April, edit.] we had 1,200 to 1,300 IUC beds. [...] Currently there are about 800 left. Now, for God’s sake, a year ago we decided on the lockdown because we had too few IUC beds. We said people have to stay at home so that the hospital system will not be overburdened. And what did we do? We reduced the number of ICU beds. In any normal case, spare ICU beds should have been kept to avoid getting into such a situation.”

Leadership crisis – failed in the health sector

“And if you talk about a corona crisis, you also have to talk about a leadership crisis. The leadership has failed in the health sector. There is no other way to put it; I include myself as well. [...] And in the health sector, they failed to take the right measures to be prepared for the next developments. And now we are in this situation with the certificate, because we missed to provide enough beds. We did the opposite, we cut IUC beds...”

It remains open which moments and interests led to these wrong decisions. Why were no efforts made to have more spare IUC beds? Have lobbies or “experts” been able to exert their influence?

“Only the population can solve the challenge”

For the coming months, Federal Councillor Maurer warns against a worsening of the situation and appeals: “so, for all of us, this means to treat each other with respect by accepting the other’s opinion. Live and let live and try in any personal contact to be considerate of the other’s opinion or differing behaviour. I think this is a challenge only the population can solve.” [...] Together we could also set an example that it is possible to deal and live with it. But there always needs to be a counterweight to power, a counterweight to moralising. Morality and moralising are not the same thing. And I believe that in a society that is now somewhat detached and led by experts, it is very important that people get involved. Because, as I always say, we have experts on some subjects, but the experts on matters of life, are you.”

It is common knowledge that some “experts” do not act free of interests. It is when experts are “advising” that conflicts of interest become politically highly explosive. In Corona times, when the close personal entanglements between “Big Pharma” and politics are almost tangible, it seems strange that so little is known about the “experts” while the Federal Council and the authorities only obtain one-sided expert opinions, almost like in a political blind flight.

“We must prevent the concentration of power”

For Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer it is clear that the issue of Corona is not only a medical one, but that behind it there are questions of a fundamental nature, namely how we want to live together: “In Switzerland it is always a question of basic values meaning our values in the constitution: freedom of opinion, the right to express one’s own opinion, to be able to move freely, against moralising. In this country, no one is better than others. We are all equal. We have to prevent power from being concentrated, and we can only do that if we resist it. Behind the Corona topic are a lot of basic values of our society. For the next few months we are in a situation that will be difficult for everyone in our country, whether you are in the Federal Council or sitting here at the table. We have different opinions, all of which have to be accepted, all of which have to be accepted and respected. We always have to find a way we deal with each other.”

Actually, it should be self-evident that a Federal Councillor can also take a self-critical stance. Thank you, Federal Councillor Maurer.

(Translation “Swiss Standpoint”)

1 Self-description of the Freiheitstrychler: “The Freiheitstrychler first made their appearance in autumn 2020. Founded by a group committed to the foundation time of Switzerland, we stand up for our constitutional rights with heart and hand.” cf. https://freiheitstrychler.ch/
When trychling, the trychlers produce rhythmic sounds by moving (often while walking) large metal cow bells.

2 A video recording of the speech can be found at: https://www.bitchute.com/video/Iyv5aPq9AlQb/ published on 13 September 2021