Swiss finance expert defends austerity measures

The head of the group of experts for the Swiss government's savings proposals sees his work vindicated by recent criticism. The criticism from all camps shows that the proposals are relatively balanced, said Serge Gaillard in an interview with NZZ am Sonntag. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Gaillard can't estimate how many of the more than 60 recommendations will actually be implemented. “But it is possible that even better proposals will be put on the table,” said the former head of the Federal Finance Administration in the interview published on Sunday. He has received criticism from the left and the right, from central cantons and peripheral regions. “You don't make friends with austerity,” said Gaillard. + Expert group proposes CHF4-5 billion in cuts to federal budget The group of experts had reviewed over 300 individual budget items. The good news is: “The federal government is doing a lot of things sensibly, a lot of the expenditure is well ...