Swiss president faces probe over media leaks

GENEVA: The Swiss parliament decided on Tuesday to open an investigation targeting President Alain Berset, among others, over media leaks linked to government measures at the height of the pandemic.

The investigation will focus on “numerous indiscretions concerning government affairs related to the Covid-19 pandemic”, the parliament´s control committee said in a statement. The threat of a parliamentary probe has been looming for days, amid suspicion of significant leaks of confidential information from the Swiss health ministry, in an affair dubbed “Bersetgate” and “Coronaleaks” by Swiss media.

Health Minister Berset, who currently holds the country´s rotating one-year presidency, was the face of the government´s Covid response. The Schweiz am Wochende newspaper reported that Berset´s former communications chief had, at the height of the pandemic, systematically leaked information to one of Switzerland´s largest media houses.