Montreux expat meeting gets a glimpse of the future
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis outlined his policy vision at the Swiss Abroad Congress in the Miles Davis hall of Montreux.
ASO/Adrian Moser
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.
Kai Reusser / swissinfo.ch
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.
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Two dead after glider crash in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Two people died after their glider crashed in canton Valais on Friday afternoon. The police said the victims were Swiss nationals, aged 72 and 46, who had apparently taken off from canton Aargau.
Scientists alarmed by poor state of biodiversity in Switzerland
This content was published on
Over 100 researchers have sounded the alarm over the state of biodiversity in Switzerland stating that "rapid and effective" measures are needed to strengthen its protection.
Nestle Chair says CEO change was prompted by growth concerns
This content was published on
The abrupt replacement of Nestle SA’s chief executive officer was prompted by worries over the food and beverage company’s growth outlook, Nestlé Chair Paul Bulcke told Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
Four out of five donor hearts for Swiss children come from abroad
This content was published on
Four out of five donor hearts which are transplanted into Swiss children come from outside the Alpine country, according to the director of Swisstransplant.
Climber dies on the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
A climber died on Thursday after falling with a partner while descending the Matterhorn, near Zermatt, in southern Switzerland. The other mountaineer suffered minor injuries.
This content was published on
The Dalai Lama has arrived in Switzerland for a short visit. Hundreds of Tibetans welcomed him at an airport hotel in Opfikon, near Zurich, on Friday.
Sudan: Swiss among mediators calling for continuous flow of aid
This content was published on
The seven parties, including Switzerland, who led ten days of talks on Sudan in the Geneva region, are calling for the new flow of aid to “continue and accelerate”.
Coo d’état: Basel struggles to enforce pigeon-feeding ban
This content was published on
Police in the Swiss canton of Basel City have issued only eight fines since the ban on pigeon feeding came into force in July 2020.
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.