Parliament City council mandate and private life should be more compatible
A city council mandate in combination with private life, work and education is challenging. This was revealed by a survey of the Bern City Council, as announced by the City of Bern on Monday. Various improvements are planned.
01.07.2024, 15:07
SDA
Around 80 percent of city council members rated the workload of their mandate in combination with work, education or private commitments as challenging, according to a survey conducted by the city council office.
92 percent of respondents were in favor of the introduction of deputization rules, according to a press release. 74 percent would like to see higher compensation. A change to the meeting rhythm, a shortening or reduction in the number of meetings and an increase in resources for personal support were also desired. A majority were also in favor of limiting the time and number of votes at meetings.
The introduction of a deputization regulation was already initiated by the City Council in May. There should also be fewer and shorter meetings in future.
Over the next few months, the City Council office will be drawing up a list of options for increasing the attendance fee and relieving the burden on members of the City Council with the help of additional support from the parliamentary services.
Improving compatibility is an important democratic policy concern, according to City Council President Valentina Achermann (SP), who is quoted in the press release. "The aim is to remove barriers, increase accessibility to parliament and thus enable a more diverse representation of the population."
