UR cantonal parliament Majority of Uri parliament rejects Isleten initiative by the Greens

On Wednesday, the majority of the Uri parliament voted against the Green Party's "Isleten für alle" initiative. However, the people will have the final say in the referendum on November 24, 2024.

The initiative would restrict the autonomy of the affected municipalities of Seedorf and Isenthal too much, was the tenor of the center, FDP, GLP and SVP. Other votes concerned the property rights of the landowner, which would be curtailed by the initiative, as well as the financing of the renaturation of the delta if the marina project by investor Samih Sawiris is rejected.

"The municipalities would be patronized by the initiative," said Seedorf district councillor Bruno Arnold (non-party). "The municipalities should develop as they wish and not as they are forced to by law." Ivo Schillig (FDP) also said that an attack on planning sovereignty of this kind was "unprecedented".

Eveline Lüönd (Greens) argued that the encroachment on municipal autonomy and property rights could be justified by the public interest. Furthermore, the initiative was not undemocratic. "If 1400 people sign a popular initiative, that is very democratic." He added: "Why should municipal autonomy take precedence over the will of the people?"

Lüönd also said that if the owner did not want to sell the property, expropriation could also be considered. Director of Justice Daniel Furrer (center) replied that the conditions for this were far from being met. In addition, it was not in the interest of the canton to signal to the outside world that property in the canton was not secure.

Left criticizes government council

Sylvia Läubli (SP) criticized the government for having been on Sawiris' side from the outset and not allowing any criticism of the project. Furthermore, the government had still not addressed the issue of landscape protection. Government Councillor Furrer replied that it had indeed done so, in the form of a 20-page document that was publicly accessible.

At the end of a long discussion, parliament followed the government's recommendation and rejected the initiative by 51 votes to 7 with two abstentions. The referendum will take place on November 24, 2024.

The "Isleten für alle" initiative by the Green Party wants to ban new hotel and apartment buildings as well as boat harbors - as envisaged by Sawiris' marina project - on the peninsula. Instead, the delta should serve as a largely public and natural recreational area. The buildings on the Cheddite site are to remain and temporary camping is to be made possible on part of the area.

SDA