Basel half-cantons reaffirm cooperation
The governments of the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft have concluded an agreement. The former will provide financial support to the latter from 2016 to 2019. In return, the canton of Basel-Landschaft undertakes, among other things, to continue the joint cultural contract until 2019 without terminating it.
In its financial strategy of July 2015, the Basel-Landschaft cantonal government proposed annual cuts totaling CHF 30 million in the areas of universities and culture. Parliamentary motions are currently under discussion regarding the termination of the university contract and the cultural contract by the Canton of Basel-Landschaft.
The governments of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt are now committed to a joint partnership in the areas of university and culture. In the joint negotiations, the two governments have agreed that the Canton of Basel-Stadt will make an annual contribution of CHF 20 million to the Canton of Basel-Landschaft from 2016, limited to four years until 2019. The Canton of Basel-Landschaft will continue the university agreement, the University of Basel real estate agreement and the cultural agreement until 2019 without terminating them.
The Government Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt has approved the corresponding proposal for the approval of expenditure for the attention of the Grand Council and is requesting that the matter be dealt with urgently at the Grand Council meeting on November 11, 2015. If the Grand Council does not approve this, the contracts could be terminated as of December 31, 2015.
Basel-Landschaft had previously threatened to halve the cultural contributions to the city (Musikzeitung reported).
