Music Majority of city council wants Eurovision Song Contest in Bern
The majority of Bern's city council supports Bern and Biel's bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. If this dossier is accepted by the SRG, the city will be able to spend up to seven million Swiss francs on staging the event.
The Council approved the financial contribution by 34 votes to 22. 14 council members abstained from voting. The SP, Center Party and FDP helped the bill to a breakthrough.
Nik Eugster, speaking on behalf of the Liberals, spoke of a "spring fairy tale that benefits everyone" and could bring Bern added value in the two to three-digit million range. The federal city would become "the center of Europe and the world, and for little money," enthused Claudio Righetti (center).
Nemo from Biel had brought the event to Switzerland by winning this year's ESC, recalled Barbara Keller (SP). It was Nemo's wish that the major event should take place here. Bern is a city of culture and a suitable location for an event that has often made music history.
Opposition came from the ranks of the SVP, the Green Liberals and the far-left parties AL, PdA and GaP, supported by individual Greens and the young parties Juso and JA. They argued that the event was not environmentally friendly and was simply too big for Bern.
Doubts about risk management
In addition, planning the world's largest music competition in the new Festhalle is risky. This will only be completed shortly before the ESC.
The city's risk management was inadequate, criticized Yasmin Amana Abdullahi on behalf of the GLP/JGLP parliamentary group. There was a risk of construction delays and teething troubles with the Festhalle. There was also a lack of infrastructure in the city, particularly in terms of available hotel rooms, and a very tight schedule with the BEA before and the Women's European Football Championship after the ESC.
It remains to be seen whether the city's contribution is now a done deal. Exponents of the SVP and the Green-Alternative Party are considering launching a referendum. A proposal to voluntarily submit the contribution to the people clearly failed.
"The best of all dossiers"
The city government expressed its conviction in the "Bern United" bid. Bern can handle such major events, said Councillor Reto Nause, as the city had proven with the 2008 European Football Championships and the 2016 Tour de France, for example. "We have the best dossier of all," he exclaimed.
Mayor Alec von Graffenried tried to dispel concerns that the festival hall would not be completed on time. Bernexpo, as the client, had proven that the hall would be ready on March 31, 2025. Regarding the amount of the contribution, which is close to the mandatory referendum threshold, von Graffenried said: "It's seven million, and it won't be one franc more."
SRG will decide who will host the ESC by the end of August. It has received bids from Bern/Biel, Zurich, Basel and Geneva.
Resistance in the canton too
The Bernese promoters estimate the total cost at a good 40 million francs. The lion's share is made up of security costs, which are to be covered by the federal government and the canton of Bern. The Bernese cantonal government presented a loan of almost CHF 30 million for this on Thursday.
Bern's largest party, the SVP, is already threatening a referendum. Priority must be given to tax relief for the population instead of expensive major events for a few, it said.
