Moritz Leuenberger involuntarily promotes new nuclear power plant

"I was not contacted before this advertisement was created; it appeared without my knowledge," writes the former head of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) in a statement. The advertisers' approach was incorrect. He did not want to interfere in this cantonal referendum campaign. The former Federal Councillor is quoted in the advertisement with a statement from October 24, 2010. At the time, he said that nuclear energy produced "almost CO2-free electricity", which "should not be underestimated" in terms of climate policy. The quote dates back to his time as an active Federal Councillor and reflects the official position of the entire Federal Council, Leuenberger states. In order to use it for the current vote, the current Energy Minister should therefore have been quoted.

However, the "Yes to Mühleberg" committee is not aware of any mistakes.
Leuenberger is a public figure, said committee spokesperson Adrian Haas when asked by the SDA news agency. In addition, the advertisement states that the quote comes from Leuenberger's time as Federal Councillor. Consent was therefore not necessary. The committee simply wanted to quote the member of the Federal Council who was responsible for the Confederation's energy strategy at the time, says Haas. He also does not consider it problematic that the logo of the SP, which is fighting against the replacement of the nuclear power plant in the canton of Bern, can also be seen on the picture of the advertisement.

The advertisement was created by Burson-Marsteller and was published in the Bund and Bernerzeitung newspapers, as Adrian Haas told Werbewoche. The PR agency is responsible for the committee's entire campaign.