Céline Vara: criticized for her plane vacation in Oman

It is a Swiss tourist who, staying at the five-star Hotel Shangri-La Al Waha, near the capital Mascate, in Oman, was surprised to see Céline Vara, accompanied by her spouse and two children. The new Neuchâtel State Councilor, locomotive of the Neuchâtel Greens, elected at the end of Marchobviously went there by plane.

A choice that unwanted the witness tourist, as declared to blick.chwho was echoed this Saturday: “She is right to want to reduce air traffic as much as possible. But if she wants to win this fight, she must keep the course until the end. ”

“No comment” from the Greens Neuchâtelois

Contacted, Céline Vara tells us that there is “no comments to formulate on elements relating exclusively to privacy”, and that “the subject is not a matter of public interest”. Same line of defense for the co -president of the Greens of Neuchâtels Yves Pessina, as well as for Clarence Chollet (who will enter the National Council in June), who, contacted by us, “does not comment this case which is the private sphere of Céline Vara”.

Private, really? This is not the opinion of Francis Krähenbühl, president of PLR Neuchâtel: “I can tell you that it crackles on WhatsApp for this first dumpling! When you are a public figure, that we defend values ​​of wrestling for climate, against CO emissions₂and that we have a behavior that goes against him, there is a real problem. ”

Céline Vara had notably made the lawyer of the European Court of Human Rights, defending her verdict against Switzerland and castigating the negative reaction of the Council of States and the critiques From the Federal Council to the Verdict of the Institution.

Big carbon

A plane trip for four people to Oman (5,200 km and nine hours of flight) represents emissions between 7 and 9.2 tonnes of CO₂according to blick.chwho had fun taking the test on the site myclimate.ch. As an indication, a citizen of the European Union gives an average of 7.2 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Francis Krähenbühl also deplores the choice of destination. “Oman is not known to respect individual freedoms, nor those of the media, and is not exemplary with regard to women’s rights. Finally, we are dealing with a country that draws most of its oil income … “

The UDC Neuchâtel Niels Rossels-Christ denounces for its part “the enormous hypocrisy of Céline Vara, who, like all tenors of the left, shows an exacerbated moralism in terms of ecology and women’s law”.

He recalls that Oman is regularly denounced by organizations like Amnesty International concerning human rights, “not to mention those of women, and that excision, although penalized in 2019, is still widely practiced”. “When you are a tourist, by your presence, by your money, you support the operation of the country in which you are staying.”

The plane for the rich

The debate turns into social classes. Supporters of a tax on plane trips, the Greens “again make it a privilege of rich, critic Niels Rosselet-Christ, by guilty people who go to London with Easyjet. Now Céline Vara made there a substantial displacement. It reminds me of Alain Berset and his pleasure trips in small planes. The problem with the elected officials of the moralizing left is that their values ​​dissolve as they climb the ladder. ”

In a month, Céline Vara will take up her duties at the Château de Neuchâtel, at the head of the department of security, digitalization and culture. Where the opposition awaits him firmly. “When she defends projects before the Great Council, everyone will have in mind that she can say what she wants, but that her actions are not necessarily in line with her words,” adds Francis Krähenbühl.

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

10 comments