Milan, 7 May (LaPresse) – Italy’s exemption from paying the bills of the Swiss clinics that treated the Italian victims of the Crans-Montana fire has caused some discontent in the Swiss Federal Palace, as reported by the Tribune de Genève. “This issue was discussed yesterday in the Federal Council, but no decision has yet been taken,” said Nicole Lamon, government spokesperson, when questioned by the Geneva-based newspaper. The issue is causing no small amount of headaches in Bern, not least because the Federal Council had already passed a special law for the victims of Crans-Montana, which in turn sparked angry reactions in Parliament. “People are outraged because it seems as though Switzerland is bowing to Italy. And that, in the end, our taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill for others,” said National Councillor Céline Amaudruz. “Italy was one of the first countries to say it would not charge for the injured people treated on its territory. There is therefore a logic of reciprocity, as well as a moral responsibility on Switzerland’s part in this disaster,” added Brigitte Crottaz, a member of the Swiss National Council, “that said, this decision raises further questions. How much will the costs amount to? Where will we get the money from? And what will we do with countries like France, which suffered casualties in the fire and are treating Swiss patients on their territory?”
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