Swiss Review 5/2019

Swiss Review / September 2019 / No.5 17 Politics MARC LETTAU In the run-up to elections, the hopes and concerns of the electorate in- creasingly become the focus of polit- ical debate. The federal elections of 20October 2019 are no exception. GFS Bern’s Worry Barometer is a popular gauge for assessing the nation’smood. According to the research and polling institute’s latest findings, for Swiss voters domestic issues are currently the most pressing. For a number of years, the great- est concern among survey respond- ents was the threat of unemploy- ment. Now the biggest source of worry is pension provision. Some 45 per cent of people (previous year: 44 per cent) think that the uncertain fi- nancial future of Old-Age and Survi- vors’ Insurance and the controversy surrounding proposals to raise the retirement age are a matter of con- cern. As their second concern, 41 per cent cite the ever-increasing cost of Swiss healthcare along with expen- sive health insurance premiums that are putting a strain on household budgets. In comparison, only 26 per cent mentioned healthcare as one of their main concerns in the previous year. The issue of immigration and refugees also remains high on the list. Overall, GFS Bern have discerned a “shift in attention towards the domes- tic agenda”. In keeping with this, cli- mate change and environmental pro- tection rose to become one of the top five voter concerns following the 2018 heatwave. Although the contest to woo the “Fifth Switzerland” is intense, the do- mestic emphasis has put the interests of the Swiss Abroad slightly into the shade. For example, e-voting has more or less been put on ice. In our big election survey (see the following pages), six out of seven political par- ties take a positive view of this inno- vation, at least with regard to voters who live abroad. There is indeed plenty of goodwill, but domestically the idea is a non-starter at the mo- ment. Nevertheless, notable efforts are be- ing made to give the Swiss Abroad a stronger political voice. Parties – the SP and SVP in particular – have Swiss expatriates standing for election in a number of cantons. Politics is also about people, so a large number of for- eign-based election candidateswould do the interests of the “Fifth Switzer- land” no harm at all. This, for the State of the nation The forthcoming federal elections are developing into a contest to woo the voters of the “Fifth Switzerland”. However, domestic issues are clearly dominating this year’s campaign. How to vote smart Whom do I vote for if I don’t know any of the election candidates? This is a common quandary even for many voters who live in Switzerland, let alone in faraway countries. Smartvote is an online platform that enables you to learn more about the political views of the people who are standing. Election candi- dates use the tool to answer questions on a range of issues, thus creating a database of profiles. The trick is that Smartvote also al- lows you, the voter, to answer the same ques- tions. You can then compare your own political views directly with those of the different candidates. The more a candidate’s responses tally with your own responses, the more likely their political stance will be similar to yours. www.smartvote.ch Swiss Abroad at least, is the good news as we approach the 2019 elec- tions. For more information on election candidates from the “Fifth Switzer- land”, visit www.revue.ch The parliament lobby, now empty: election day will reveal who will soon be filling the space. Photo :Keystone