Supervisory Commission reprimands Federal Council for lack of transparency
The Federal Council did not provide enough transparent information during the inspections for the evaluation process for the new fighter jets and the procurement of Covid protective masks. This is according to the National Council's Control Committee (CC-N). It is calling for improvements.
The annual report 2023 of the Control Committees (CC) published on Tuesday contains topics that were not already publicly communicated during the year. What is striking is this: In two cases, the GPK-N was not satisfied with the Federal Council's statements on recommendations and suggestions made by the superintendence.
On the one hand, it concerns the GPK-N's inspection of the evaluation process for the Swiss Armed Forces' new fighter aircraft. The Federal Council's statements were "insufficient" in the view of the parliamentary superintendence and "its attitude was problematic for institutional reasons".
The Federal Council had not provided the additional information requested. "The Commission regrets that in this case the Federal Council was unwilling to deal materially with its findings and recommendations."
Constructive dialog required
The GPK-N also states in the report that a similar problem arose during its investigation into the procurement of Covid-19 protective masks. It emphasizes "that the framework set by current law for the distribution of roles between the Federal Council and parliamentary oversight only works if the two bodies can engage in an in-depth dialogue or if there is a corresponding willingness on both sides".
With the exception of the cases mentioned, this dialog "generally works", according to the GPK-N. However, it expects the Federal Council to be prepared in future to engage in a constructive and appropriate dialog with it on the findings and recommendations from its inspections. This is in the interests of both institutions. (SDA)
