The Council of the Swiss Abroad meeting in Bern on Friday adopted a manifesto in the runup to federal parliamentary elections this autumn, calling notably for free movement of people to be maintained.
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Il Consiglio degli svizzeri all’estero chiede garanzie in vista delle elezioni federali
More than 218,000 Swiss abroad, registered to vote, will be able to take part in the election. They also have a new election website: www.elections-2023.ch/fr. The Swiss abroad number some 788,000 people and represent one tenth of the Swiss population.
“There are more Swiss voters abroad than in some Swiss cantons,” said Filippo Lombardi, president of the Organisation of the Swiss AbroadExternal link (OSA). “The parties, candidates and authorities must realise the importance of their concerns.”
In the manifesto addressed to the political authorities, the Council of the Swiss Abroad calls for the guarantee and promotion of the exercise of political rights abroad. Delegates also want Swiss politicians to promote the development of e-government in the next legislative period, to push ahead with the removal of obstacles to mobility linked to social insurance, and to maintain the consular network abroad.
Members were able to participate online for the first time in the March 17 session. The Council has 140 members and meets twice a year. It aims to represent the interests of Swiss citizens abroad vis-à-vis the authorities and the public in Switzerland.
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The votes of Swiss citizens living abroad are highly sought after, but their political rights are also the target of criticism.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.