Montreux expat meeting gets a glimpse of the future
This year’s annual Swiss Abroad Congress has heard politicians, scientists and representatives of the business community discussing the challenges of the future. A panel discussion presented the positions of the main political parties ahead of the October parliamentary elections.
This content was published on
4 minutes
Urs Geiser in Montreux
The Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, referred to a famous 19th century English novel, Alice in Wonderland, in his keynote speech at the two-day congress in the town of Montreux on Saturday.
“If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take,” as the cat tells the girl Alice in the novel.
But Cassis had no intention of talking about a fantasy world. He outlined his vision for the future of Switzerland’s foreign policy and addressed concerns of many the 760,000 expatriate Swiss citizens around the world.
He notably explained that the data security and the fundamental confidence of Swiss citizens in their direct democratic system were key factors for the government to suspend plans to introduce e-voting on a permanent basis.
But he promised that the government and the cantonal authorities would present possible ways of promoting e-voting by the end of next year.
Over the past few months, the two e-voting providers withdrew their systems due to the discovery of technical flaws, depriving expatriate Swiss citizens in particular of the option of taking part in October’s parliamentary election.
This bleak prospect prompted an outcry among the Swiss Abroad community which can’t always rely on efficient postal services in their countries of residence.
Platform for parties
Representatives from the world of science, business, tourism and culture as well as political interest groups and think tanks also presented their ideas of a future world, with its economic and social challenges, to the about 400 participants meeting in the famous Miles Davis concert hall of Montreux.
It seems doubtful whether the music of the revolutionary jazz trumpet player and composer was able to inspire the politicians present in the lakeside town. They were given a platform to present their party platforms on the hot topics of Swiss politics, ranging from climate change, Switzerland’s relation with the European Union, to social issues.
Inevitably, the issues close to the heart of many expatriates, including the right to a Swiss bank account and e-voting were also on the agenda in one form or another.
Taking a distinctly sober-minded approach, the political scientist Marc Bühlmann from the university of Bern analysed the political achievements of parliament over the past four years for typical expatriate issues.
Parliament and Swiss Abroad
Bühlmann says the concerns of the Swiss Abroad are not a priority of the parliamentarians. He says the newly kindled interest of many politicians in expatriate voters could, to some extent, be described as opportunistic.
The search for a compromise solution in a multi-party parliament is a key asset of the Swiss system, according to Bühlmann. “It takes time and needs patience to find a compromise in democracy,” he said. The reward is a broad political discussion and ideally also additional social legitimacy of the solution.
Bühlmann, who is the director of the Année Politique platformExternal link, says a historical perspective and geographical distance can help put controversial issues in context. Expatriate Swiss citizens could be in a good position to take a sober approach to Swiss politics.
Ahead of the two-day congressExternal link on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Council of the Swiss Abroad held its regular bi-annual meeting.
More
More
Expat Swiss push for e-vote and EU bilateral ties
This content was published on
At a meeting in Montreux the Council of the Swiss Abroad has called on the government to take a lead role in the introduction of electronic voting.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Majority of young Swiss well-trained, army fitness test reveals
This content was published on
More than half of young Swiss men and women are considered well-trained, with around 80% meeting the federal government's exercise recommendations, according to the Armed Forces 2023 fitness test.
Italian consulate to relocate to ‘Casa d’Italia’ in Zurich
This content was published on
The Italian state is renovating the "Casa d'Italia" in Zurich's Kreis 4 district, with plans to move the Consulate General from its current location on Tödistrasse in District 2 to this historic building.
Swiss companies maintain financial stability amid European struggles
This content was published on
Swiss companies continue to demonstrate financial robustness compared to their European counterparts, although corporate restructuring activities have increased in recent months.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants detonated an ATM in canton Vaud early Sunday morning, causing extensive damage to the building. The perpetrators fled the scene and remain at large.
Kudelski Group to sell Skidata division to Assa Abloy
This content was published on
The Kudelski Group is selling its Skidata division to the Swedish manufacturer of locking and security systems Assa Abloy.
Tragic weekend in Swiss waters: three bodies recovered
This content was published on
Swiss authorities recovered three bodies from local waters over the weekend, with one incident occurring in Zurich and two in Zug.
Lake Parade in Geneva attracts over 100,000 people
This content was published on
The 22nd Lake Parade and the Lake Sensation in Geneva attracted over 100,000 people in summery weather on Saturday. There were no major incidents at either event.
Graubünden storm causes significant economic damage, prompting support measures
This content was published on
The recent storm in Misox, in canton Graubünden, has resulted in severe economic damage, affecting SMEs, tourism, and agricultural land.
This content was published on
What do young Swiss abroad think about Switzerland and its politics? We met some of the young Swiss living in Rome to find out.
Swiss in Minnesota call for compromise and e-voting
This content was published on
Finding middle ground in an increasingly polarized political landscape is key, say Swiss voters living in the American Midwest.
This content was published on
The Organisation for the Swiss Abroad (OSA) represents the interests of the so-called Fifth Switzerland – the 760,000 or so Swiss living abroad. They have invited leading figures from the world of economics, science and Swiss politics to discuss issues such as the effect of digitalisation on the workplace, migration and the mobility of the future. Is…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.