The Federal Commission for Family Affairs (EKFF) has launched a proposal to create 24-week parental leave. Four weeks of this should be reserved for fathers. GeCoBi welcomes this initiative because it brings movement back into an issue that is important for all parents.
Switzerland is one of the few countries in Europe that affords only marginal support for parents with childcare. According to the EKFF, Switzerland spends 1.3 percent of gross domestic product on social benefits for families and children. Only the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Poland have comparatively low values. At the top are the Scandinavian countries, which spend up to three times as much on families. But social spending for families is also significantly higher in Germany, Austria and France.
Joint parenthood can only be lived if parents receive the economic framework conditions for it in addition to the legal ones. In addition to working, parents also need time to be there for their children. This applies in particular to fathers – also and especially if they no longer live with their mother. We therefore support efforts that give fathers the same childcare options as mothers and also strengthen parents' personal responsibility. For this reason, the Icelandic model is a role model for us. In Iceland, both fathers and mothers receive compulsory parental leave of three months each. One parent can receive three more months – they decide for themselves which that is. They receive 80% of their previous wages.
While the EKFF only plans to increase payroll taxes or VAT to finance their proposal, we call for more creativity in the search for funds. In particular, it seems appropriate to us to ask whether Switzerland needs one of the highest subsidy levels in the agricultural sector. We see great savings potential there; the freed-up state funds should better flow into future-oriented investments such as raising children.
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