Neuchâtel community lifts boycott
Following a storm of outrage, the Val-de-Ruz executive has lifted its boycott of two local journalists from the newspaper L'Express/L'Impartial. The journalists will be able to attend Friday's press conference.
The municipality had resorted to the unusual measure of boycotting the event after journalists named municipal councillor Claude-Henri Schaller (FDP) as the author of controversial alcohol tests for administrative staff. The entire municipal council had decided on the alcohol tests, confirmed municipal president Anne-Christine Pellissier (FDP) to French-speaking Swiss radio station RTS on Wednesday evening. In the view of the executive, the relationship of trust had been shaken as a result. However, in the interests of peace, the municipal council has decided to lift the boycott. The Neuchâtel newspaper L'Express/L'Impartial had already announced on Wednesday that it did not intend to adhere to the measure. The municipality could not choose at its own discretion which journalists it wanted to work with. The professional association Impressum had also strongly condemned the boycott and denounced it as a violation of press freedom (Werbewoche.ch reported).
