Flop of the week: Council of States doesn't want any funding for head sheets

The Council of States approved the National Council's proposal in the debate on the Postal Services Act. The supporters of this criterion argued that this would ensure that small newspapers would be promoted. By 29 votes to 9 with 4 abstentions, the Council of States released the spending brake this week, as the National Council had done earlier. Subsidies for the delivery of newspapers by Swiss Post now amount to CHF 50 million per year. 30 million will go to the regional and local press, 20 million to the membership and foundation press. This means that the final difference in the Postal Services Act has been resolved, so that the bill will be put to a final vote this week together with the Postal Organization Act. The councils had decided not to abolish Swiss Post's remaining monopoly on sending letters weighing up to 50 grams for the time being. However, the Councils do not want an absolute halt to liberalization: the Federal Council is to reassess the situation three years after the revised Postal Services Act comes into force.