SVP party leadership sticks to newspaper plans
In an interview, Ueli Maurer spoke of the SVP launching its own newspaper if both of its Federal Councillors are not re-elected in the upcoming Federal Council elections. Christoph Blocher described this as a "hoax". However, the party leadership is still sticking to its plans.
A week ago on Sunday, SVP party president Ueli Maurer announced in Sonntagsblick that the SVP would launch a daily newspaper if Christoph Blocher was not re-elected as Federal Councillor and the party went into opposition. The plans for this are already in the drawer, according to Maurer. In the current "TeleBlocher" program, Christoph Blocher now explained that this was "a hoax". He denied the plans for an SVP newspaper. Such a project had been considered in the 1990s. However, according to his statement in the program, Blocher does not believe that there is a need for such a publication and that the project would be too expensive. "No, that's not a hoax," SVP spokesman Roman S. Jäggi told Werbewoche. A newspaper would definitely be launched if the party were to switch to the opposition role. This would be the case if one of the two federal councillors were not re-elected. However, the newspaper is only one of many measures that would be taken as an opposition party. Jäggi explained Blocher's denial of the plans as follows: "It may be that he knew nothing about it. Our federal councillors are largely relieved of party work. After all, they have other tasks."
Jäggi does not yet want to give any further details about the planned publication. That will be decided in the days following the Federal Council election. Who the paper's financial backers might be will not be disclosed anyway: "The newspaper would probably be largely financed by donations, and we do not disclose donors". Whether individual party exponents could finance the newspaper is also not communicated. However, in the event of an opposition role, massive investments would be made in public information. "The problem would be that all media would report in the same way, namely from the perspective of the government," says Jäggi. His party would then no longer have a voice and would therefore have to take action itself. However, the Sonntagsblick reported that a large publishing house would join as a partner
Jäggi did not provide any information on the amount of investment required. Sonntagsblick speculated that the costs would be between 150 and 200 million francs. Blocher said on "TeleBlocher" that the sum would be around CHF 120 million. "There are various levels at which we could start. But we are also looking at much cheaper models," the SVP spokesman commented on this figure.
Jäggi does not yet want to give any further details about the planned publication. That will be decided in the days following the Federal Council election. Who the paper's financial backers might be will not be disclosed anyway: "The newspaper would probably be largely financed by donations, and we do not disclose donors". Whether individual party exponents could finance the newspaper is also not communicated. However, in the event of an opposition role, massive investments would be made in public information. "The problem would be that all media would report in the same way, namely from the perspective of the government," says Jäggi. His party would then no longer have a voice and would therefore have to take action itself. However, the Sonntagsblick reported that a large publishing house would join as a partner
Jäggi did not provide any information on the amount of investment required. Sonntagsblick speculated that the costs would be between 150 and 200 million francs. Blocher said on "TeleBlocher" that the sum would be around CHF 120 million. "There are various levels at which we could start. But we are also looking at much cheaper models," the SVP spokesman commented on this figure.
