Keystone-SDA
The Friborg deputies partially accepted on Thursday an interpretched mandate requesting a “lasting recognition of the legendary Morat-Fribourg race”. The Council of State will thus support a request for registration for the list of living traditions in Switzerland.
(Keystone-ATS) The fractionation of the mandate passed the ramp by 83 votes against 15 and 2 abstentions, in accordance with the proposal of the executive. The national recognition (Editor’s note: this is already the case on the cantonal level) as a living tradition was then endorsed, while the sustainable additional financial support has been refused.
The criticisms of the organizers of Morat-Fribourg towards the lack of recognition of the canton had caused a stir last fall. To the point that ten deputies had signed in the wake a mandate requiring more support from the State for the dean of the country’s foot races. The latter were heard.
“The Council of State is fully aware of the place and the importance of the Morat-Fribourg race (Editor’s note: which has existed since 1933) for the canton of Friborg,” said the Roman councilor Roman Collaud, in charge of sports. The aspects related to health and living together were also mentioned in the debate.
Documentary work
The government will therefore support a request for registration from Morat-Fribourg to the list of living traditions in Switzerland. However, it is on the “carriers of tradition” that the initiative will rest to announce an interest with the Federal Culture Office which updates the document every five years.
The next time will take place between 2027 and 2028. “It will be up to the organizers to carry out documentary work secondly in collaboration with the cantonal commission on intangible heritage,” said Romain Collaud, promising the support of his services.
The signatories also requested more substantial state financial support. The canton recalled that, as part of the 90th edition disputed in October, it had allocated 50,000 francs to the event via Friborgissima, an association based on a public-private partnership, whose state is involved.
Annual allowance
On December 3, the executive also validated an annual allowance of 30,000 francs for the next three years “subject to the signing of an agreement with the organization”. The document aims in particular to guarantee free participation in schoolchildren. But the canton will do any more. Hence the splitting.
For the record, the 17.17 kilometers race comes to commemorate the battle of 1476 each fall which saw the Confederates win in Morat a victory over Charles the Bold. According to legend, in the process, a messenger had run from Morat to Friborg, a branch of linden in hand, to announce the victory of the Swiss.
Reserves appeared. Thus, the Green MP François Ingold has found financial support a little skinny, compared to other sports, including ice hockey. “A fair and measured support” is that his colleague PLR Sophie Moura asked, recalling that other events existed in the canton.
