"Pressure can trigger something" Council of States wants more money for the protection of women - Funiciello wants much more

Yesterday, a decision by the National Council caused outrage: the Council did not want to allocate more money for protection against violence against women. The Council of States has now overturned the decision.

The budget debate in the winter session has been in full swing since December 1. The budget amounts to CHF 90 billion - and is now being distributed.

Part of the debate was more money to protect women from violence. The amount was originally supposed to rise from CHF 1.5 million to CHF 2.5 million - in other words, one million more. However, this additional million was rejected by the National Council on Tuesday. This caused a strong reaction.

"I am incredibly disappointed with this parliament. We are talking about a budget of over CHF 90 billion - there would be enough money to finance measures against violence against women," SP National Councillor Tamara Funiciello (35) told blue News on Tuesday.

The SP then launched a campaign to collect over 200,000 signatures to oppose the decision. Emails were also sent to individual members of the National Council who voted against the decision. A demonstration was held in Bern in the evening. The rally was called by the feminist strike collective Bern.

"An important and good step"

On Wednesday morning, however, the Council of States opposed the decision of the National Council - it wants to allocate the additional million francs to measures against violence against women.

"It's an important and good step," Tamara Funiciello now tells blue News. For now, the decision of the Council of States is very important. "It has shown that pressure from outside can trigger something. And that it makes a difference when women join forces."

However, Funiciello also says that the decision is a drop in the ocean. "The absurd thing is that we are fighting for 2.5 million francs. But at least 500 million would be necessary."

The bill will now go back to the National Council. Funiciello does not know whether it will have a better chance there. "We'll see. The decision yesterday was very close. It's enough that someone isn't there and then it gets through."

"It was an orchestrated campaign by a single party"

In the debate in the Council of States, Eva Herzog (SP) spoke out in favor of the budget increase. "So that there is not just one poster per municipality, but that the prevention campaign is really noticed," she said.

In her vote, Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger, a member of the Council of States from the center, was annoyed by the flood of emails that reached members of the National Council. "This was an orchestrated campaign by a single party," she said. She was against "one party's political marketing reaching the Council of States. That is absolutely counterproductive." Nevertheless, she spoke out in favor of the budget increase.

Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) also had her say: "Something disturbed me in the discussion," she said. "It was reported today that they wanted to make savings in this area. That is not correct. You have to stick to the facts here," said Keller-Sutter.

In the 2025 budget, CHF 1.5 million has been increased for the campaign against domestic violence. Rightly so, according to Keller-Sutter. It could not be said that savings had been made, but that a further increase had merely been waived. "Very narrowly, by the way, with 93 to 94 votes. The last word has not yet been spoken here," the Federal Councillor concluded.