Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Rome will not pay Switzerland for the treatment of victims injured in a bar fire at the ski resort of Crans-Montana.
On Friday, Italian media reported that Switzerland is seeking 108,000 euros ($126,600) from Italy to cover medical costs for three young Italians hospitalized after an incident. Relatives said they received hospital bills, but the documents indicated no payment was required, including 75,000 euros for one patient’s 15-hour stay in intensive care.
Meloni said she learned from media reports that Swiss authorities intend to seek reimbursement for what they describe as excessive medical costs incurred by a hospital in Sion for the treatment of several victims, even for hospital stays lasting only a few hours.
“If this despicable request is formalized, I declare that Italy will reject it and will not take any further action. I believe in the sense of responsibility of the Swiss authorities and I hope that this information will turn out to be completely unfounded,” Meloni said on X.
Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Corrado, told La Repubblica that the request is insulting and reflects a “deep misunderstanding” between the two sides.
On New Year’s Eve, a fire broke out in the basement of the Constellation bar in the popular Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, where a nightclub event was taking place. According to police in the canton of Valais, 41 people were killed, most of them young people aged between 14 and 24, and 14 Italian nationals were also injured.
