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The National Council wants to ban the importation of foie gras. The debate is revived around eating habits on both sides of the Sarine. So far, all attempts have failed.
In the pan, one of the very popular ways to prepare foie gras.
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Prohibit the importation of foie gras? History repeats itself under the Federal Dome, where the subject has come up regularly since the 1990s. Each time, it is the mistreatment of birds (geese or ducks) that is stuffed. The method is prohibited in Switzerland, but the importation of foie gras from France or Hungary remains authorized, to the chagrin of animal lovers and certain breeders.
In memory of the Aebischer motion
On Monday, the National Council accepted a proposal from farmer Martin Haag (UDC / ZH) by 119 votes to 61. This is rekindling the controversy at the Federal Palace over the gastronomic differences between German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland. Some elected members of the PLR suspect the National Socialist Councilor Mathias Aebischer (PS / BE) of having remotely guided this elected UDC to pass his proposal debated in 2017 and initially accepted by 99 votes once morest 77 at the National. “But, he specifies today, my motion did not specifically target foie gras. I am not for banning. However, a country that prohibits certain production methods that are not animal-friendly should not authorize the import of products derived from them”. His text also targeted frog legs or fur products.
The UDC who feared for the cervelas
On Monday, the weight of the SVP was decisive in supporting the ban. What surprises Emmanuel Amoos (PS / VS), who voted once morest: “It is astonishing that this proposal comes from this party. During the Tobacco archyde news Initiative campaign, she threatened that cervelas or wine would soon be banned. And now it is she who is proposing to ban foie gras…”
“What we are allowed to eat”
The PLR voted once morest. For Frédéric Borloz (PLR / VD): “It is completely inconsistent on the part of the UDC. This demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the product and eating habits in French-speaking Switzerland. It’s true, we sometimes eat frogs’ legs, oysters. and damn it at the end, it’s just good!” The former president of the peasants, Jacques Bourgeois (PLR / FR), defends Romand particularism: “As an epicurean, we know what we are entitled to eat”
Opinion evolves
His compatriot Pierre-André Page (UDC / FR) supported the ban: “It’s a question of political coherence. We cannot prohibit certain production methods in Switzerland and authorize the import of products resulting from these methods. Alternatives must be found. Some countries allow less intensive production. In France, some producers have already chosen this path”. Mathias Aebischer also observes that production methods have evolved with vegetable or organic foie gras: “Since my motion, I have noticed that public opinion has evolved on this question, in French-speaking Switzerland as well”.
In 2017, the Council of States had swept by 37 votes once morest 4 the motion of the National. What will it be this time? Suspense, probably until the next session.
