Swiss Review 4/2019

Swiss Review / July 2019 / No.4 3 I am not an ornithologist. But I do like birds. Prefera- bly thosewhich are flying free, which are not stuck in a cage. I recently came across a bird I had never seen before, early one morning in the Bernese Alps. A strange, loud, rolling sound pierced the silence.What was that? A proud black grouse, Lyrurus tetrix, ap- peared on a nearby hill. Its magnificent blue-black plumage glistened, its tail feathers glowedwhite, and its crest red. Its call reverberated through the vast basin of the valley. Then it flew away. It was a stroke of luck for me. As a potentially endangered species, the animal is included on the Red List and has become so rare on the north- ern side of the Swiss Alps that I was highly unlikely to cross its path. This is nothing new: biodiversity is under extreme pressure in Switzerland too. The Swiss parliament is also presently occupied with the topic of pro- tected animals. It wants to permit the shooting of hitherto strictly protected animals. There is still disagreement about whether to now target wolves and beavers – or perhaps wolves and lynxes. It was further proposed that levels of protection of the grey heron, the goosander and the unremarkable wood- cock should be relaxed. Our black grousewas also included in the debate. This raised the question in the Council of States as towhy the Confederation puts endangered species – including the black grouse – on the Red List and then simultaneously permits their numbers to be depleted. First protect, then decimate. That is clearly a dramatic change of position. Furthermore, the more contradictory established policy seems to be, the more incomprehensible it appears to outsiders. Perhaps this is why students are currently taking to the streets in their thousands. They are calling loudly for consistent climate policy, as this is the only way to avoid a potentially dis- astrous shift in the climate change process. They clearly have little confidence in policy to date. Froman ornithological perspective, the city centres on strike days can be compared to a noisy aviary. However, the old hands in the political establish- ment are increasingly responding to the youthful twittering: in light of the coming elections, themajority of Swiss parties are painting themselves green. This is reason enough for the “Swiss Review” to pay closer attention and ex- plore the issue in depth. What makes the young people who aremarching at the forefront of these demonstrations tick (Page 6)? MARC LETTAU, CHIEF EDITOR Editorial 5 Mailbag 6 Focus Thousands of young people are demanding consistent climate policy 11 Culture Swiss cheese is a fan of hip-hop music 12 Society The city of Geneva is moving closer to its lake No precedent: The Federal Supreme Court annuls a popular vote 14 Politics Clear-cut case: Switzerland tightens its gun laws Perennial issue: Still no end in sight to the wrangling over old-age pensions 17 Literature series Heinrich Anacker? Switzerland’s embarrassment about its most “successful” poet 18 Politics / Elections 2019 e-voting comes up against strong resistance The lack of transparency regarding party financing 22 OSA news 26 news.admin.ch Useful facts on the coming parliamentary elections 28 Images The monumental paintings of artist Franz Gertsch 30 Books / Sounds 31 Top pick / News Contents An ornithological observation Cover photo: Young climate activist Wirada Läderach during a demonstration in Bern. Photo: Danielle Liniger