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Senior Vice President threatens referendum on ‘temple’
There are great doubts in the capitalist camp about the 95 million loan. On Thursday, a government committee will say whether this investment is a priority.
Architecturally praised, but financially controversial: the historic Stettler building at the Bern Museum of Art, the new extension and today’s police building on Hodlerstrasse.
Visualisation: PD / Kunstmuseum Bern
Chief Councillor Samuel Krähenbühl (SVP) did not mince words: “This goes beyond all limits and is simply outrageous for the temple.” This refers to the 147 million franc renovation and expansion of the Bern Art Museum, of which the state will contribute 95 million francs. Art Museum Schmidlin Architects’ “Eiger” project was selected from a competition of 148 teams.
Krähenbühl says that, on the contrary, he is not against art. “Art is important.” But he does not understand the blatant increase in costs. The state’s share was originally 40 million francs. As recently as last Saturday, the media were talking about 67 million. Now it is 95 million francs. “The Kunstmuseum Bern is not the Museum Island in Berlin or the Louvre in Paris,” Krähenbühl says.
“The Bern Museum of Art is not the Louvre,” said Grand Councillor Samuel Krähenbühl, criticising the canton’s contribution to the cultural centre’s expansion.
Photo: Adrian Moser
The financial politician pointed out that the state government not only pays for the art museum, but also for the maintenance of the Paul Klee Center. Renovations are to be carried out by 2040 at the latest. Against this background, the art museum project obviously needs to be slimmed down. If the Grand Council still agrees to the 95 million project, it will seek a referendum among the senior vice presidents. “The chances of a successful vote are probably high,” said Krähenbuhl.
Liberal Democratic Party “shocked”
Other parties in the state parliament, which has a bourgeois majority, are also skeptical. Grand Councillor Casimir von Alx (GLP) points out that the state will present its budget and financial plan this Thursday. In addition, due to the large scale of construction projects this year, investments must be prioritized again. “Against this background, the museum director’s approach and timing are undoubtedly courageous,” said von Alx.
Carlos Reinhard, leader of the FDP parliamentary group, said he was “shocked” when he learned that the state should contribute 95 million francs to the project. There is no dispute within the FDP that structural measures for the museum are necessary. When the military council discusses the loan, people carefully consider “what is really needed and what is desirable.” Reinhard said it was obvious that it would be difficult for the FDP to approve a loan of this magnitude.
Is this project a priority?
In fact, the project was announced at a time of financial explosion. Whether the 95 million for the Bern Museum of Art was included in the canton’s mission and financial plan, or only partially or not at all, was still unclear on Thursday. Government councillor Astrid Bärtschi (centre) talks about the media conference she will hold today. The finance director noted that the investment plan “will show the canton’s latest contribution to the art museum”.
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