Swiss Review 6/2018

Swiss Review / November 2018 / No.6 3 Excuse us for first briefly talking about ourselves - the “Swiss Review” that is. Finding well-thumbed copies on the tables in Lyon, Tarragona, Vancouver, Inver- may, Newcastle, Berlin or Hong Kong tells us that the printed edition passes through many pairs of hands, and often acts as a starting point for family discus- sions or is perhaps sometimes even a matter of dis- pute. It is also always a small and tangible piece of Switzerland. That is why we would like to ensure the long-term continua- tion of the “Review’s” printed edition. But printedmatter is under pressure due to the costs. Ironically, the future of the printed edition of the “Review” depends upon those readers who enjoy the benefits of the electronic edition. Those who ac- cess the contents of the “Review” online or via our – improved – app and un- subscribe from the printed edition, instead of tossing it into the waster pa- per basket without having read it, help reduce the high printing and shipping costs and thus help protect the future of the printed edition. Specific tips on this topic are provided on page 22. Will the printedword survive?We took a closer look at howbooks, which have long been declared dead, are doing in Switzerland. It is astonishing. Af- ter years of decline, new bookstores are opening up again for the first time. The classic, printed book itself is doingmuch better than the book trade. It is conquering new markets. In 2017, 9,000 new books were published in Swit- zerland. That is almost twice asmany as 50 years ago, at a timewhen the book was still entirely unrivaled. In addition, a feeling of “digital fatigue” can be observed in Switzerland, which helps the classic book: e-book sales are stag- nating and do not even account for ten percent of sales in the book market. One story has yet to be written: the tale of suspense that is the tough ne- gotiations over the future relationship between Switzerland and the Euro- pean Union. The tense final phase of the showdown is underway, with Bern and Brussels raising the stakes. We offer a brief guide to thematter of debate, which is not always clear, even to those interested in politics. What is clear though, is that the tussle between Bern and Brussels will influence the elec- tions in Switzerland. During the election year 2019, Switzerland itself will be the subject of debate as seldom before: What will happen to the “Swiss model of success”? How can it be safeguarded? What threatens it? These are also the first questions for those who want to start preparing for the upcom- ing autumn elections. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editorial 5 Mailbag 6 Focus Hundreds of churches stand empty: Time to sell, rent or even demolish? 10 Politics Parliament prepares a legislative package that leaves almost no one cold Tough negotiations over the future re- lationship between Bern and Brussels 15 Society The large number of Eritrean refugees in Switzerland come under pressure 17 Science The summer of 2018 was the hottest since 1864 and also very dry 18 Culture The Swiss book market is being shaken up, but the printed book is surviving 21 Literature series Lukas Hartmann’s enchanting account of a trip to India 22 OSA news The “Swiss Review” online instead of printed 26 news.admin.ch 28 Images 30 Books / Sounds “079” by the duo Lo & Leduc is a song in a class of its own 31 Top pick / News The printed word under pressure Cover photo: printed books are holding up surprisingly well in Switzerland. Image: iStock Contents