(c) 2011 20 Minutes.
Disgruntled fathers sent 1700 paving stones to Simonetta Sommaruga. The Federal Councillor has now used them to pave a playground.
The playground in Köniz is being prepared for Sommaruga's reception. (Photo: meo)
The "heavy package" that Simonetta Sommaruga has received since February weighs around six tons. Its contents: approximately 1,700 paving stones. Disgruntled men sent these to the Justice Minister via the website Schickenstei.ch, protesting the Federal Council's delay in the legislation on joint custody. Now the paving stones have a new purpose: Sommaruga had them used to pave an area near a playground in Köniz, Bern, intended as a meeting place for parents and children.
Christine Stähli, spokesperson for the Department of Justice, confirmed corresponding research by 20 Minuten: "Simonetta Sommaruga will inaugurate the site on Thursday. It symbolically demonstrates how, together, we can pave the way for a political solution that puts the child's well-being at the center." For Oliver Hunziker, president of the VeV association and co-initiator of the project, this has brought it to a successful conclusion: "It's great that the stones didn't just end up in a pile."
Tomorrow's event won't just be an inauguration, however: "There's another surprise," says Stähli. She declined to give details. Hunziker hopes that Sommaruga will present the Federal Council's eagerly awaited proposal on joint custody in Köniz. "That would be a
wonderful surprise gift." But that would only be the beginning of the real work for fathers. Hunziker adds: "There's still a long and difficult road ahead before society truly achieves equality between women and men."
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