Adjustments to the equalization of cultural burdens
Triggered by a postulate from the Aargau Grand Council, the cantons of Aargau, Zurich and Lucerne have been negotiating a reduction in Aargau's cultural contributions. The cantonal councils have now agreed on a reduction.
Since 2010, the canton of Aargau has been transferring annual contributions to the cantons of Zurich and Lucerne for the services of supra-regional cultural institutions that are also used by Aargau residents, according to the canton's press release. These payments are based on an obligation under federal law within the framework of financial equalization and the new division of tasks between the federal government and the cantons (NFA). Aargau's contributions currently amount to a total of CHF 5.6 million per year (CHF 4.7 million to the canton of Zurich, CHF 0.9 million to the canton of Lucerne). In November 2016, the Aargau cantonal parliament passed a postulate demanding that the cantonal government renegotiate the equalization of cultural burdens with the aim of reducing the contributions to CHF 4.9 million per year. In addition, the contributions to the two local cantons should no longer be recalculated every three years, but should instead be set as a lump sum.
After several months of negotiations, the negotiating partners have now reached a compromise: Zurich and Lucerne have conceded a reduction to Aargau. From 2019, the total amount for the canton of Aargau will fall to around CHF 5.25 million. The reduction will apply for six years from 2019 to 2024, but the change to flat-rate contributions requested by the Aargau cantonal parliament has been waived. Such a change cannot be implemented within the framework of the current intercantonal agreement and would require the canton of Aargau to withdraw from the agreement. With the present compromise, the cantons of Zurich and Lucerne are making financial concessions to the canton of Aargau. By remaining in the agreement, the canton of Aargau is also committing itself to the federal obligation to equalize cultural burdens.
Before the reduction comes into force at the beginning of 2019, the Aargau cantonal parliament is to comment on the outcome of the negotiations. To this end, the Aargau cantonal government will submit a message to the Grand Council and request that the pending postulate be written off.
The tense financial situation has triggered critical discussions on the equalization of cultural burdens in several cantons in German-speaking Switzerland and weakened its acceptance, writes the canton of Aargau. Some cantons do not participate in the financial compensation of central burdens, which are borne by the cantons where cultural institutions with a supra-regional impact are located. On the initiative of the Canton of Zurich, the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) has put the equalization of cultural burdens on the agenda in order to assess the current situation and develop a solution for the whole of Switzerland or at least for the language regions. In addition to the canton of Zurich, the cantonal councils of the cantons of Aargau and Lucerne also support the efforts of the EDK. With the negotiated compromise, the three cantons are sending out a signal of continuity in the intercantonal environment in terms of cooperation on the equalization of cultural burdens. They are thus supporting the search for a sustainable, broad-based solution at a national level in order to ensure compliance with the federal obligation to equalize cultural burdens.
