Swiss Review 5/2019

Swiss Review / September 2019 / No.5 21 How should we ensure that the Swiss Abroad are actually able to exercise their political rights – and particularly their right to vote? Electronic voting is a necessity, particularly for the Swiss Abroad. However, we need to ensure that e-voting is fraud-proof. Our member of the Council of States, Filippo Lombardi, has al- ready submitted a motion demand- ing that the cantons be obliged (as part of a federal scheme) to offer e-voting to all Swiss Abroad who are eligible to vote. E-voting is crucial if the Swiss Abroad are to exercise their political rights. Postal voting is unreliable as the voting papers often arrive too late. Participation from the Swiss Abroad has been significantly higher in cantons that have tested e-voting successfully. The FDP has always advocated the use of e-voting by voters abroad. We take security concerns seriously and favour a pragmatic ethos of security over speed in rolling out e-voting across the country. We very much regret any technical hitches that may directly affect the Swiss Abroad during this election year. Firstly, it is important that people are sent their ballot material in good time. Secondly, the GLP backs the use of e-voting solutions for voters abroad. However, we are against electronic voting being rolled out across the board for gen- eral use due to current security concerns. The “Fifth Switzerland” accounts for some three quarters of a million people. As a key standard-bearer for Switzerland’s democratic culture, the expatriate community should be able to actively exercise its political rights. In many countries, the voting papers arrive too late or are not even delivered at all. That means a lot of people miss out on being able to vote. This is unacceptable. Given that no e-voting system is com- pletely fraud-proof at the moment, electronic dispatch should be test- ed as an interim solution, as this would enable punctual delivery of voting papers via the internet. The Swiss Abroad can continue to exercise their voting rights in the same way they have always done, i.e. primarily via postal vote. The SP has long been calling for speedy implementation of secure e-voting, at least for the Swiss Abroad. This makes delays all the more regrettable. E-voting will probably not be rolled out in all cantons any time soon, so we must look into making improvements to the current system, e.g. centralised delivery of voting papers via canton- al chancelleries or cantonal capi- tals (as practised by the city of Zu- rich in the canton of Zurich) instead of via every individual municipality; electronic dispatch of documents; and the option of submitting votes in person or by post via a consulate. Animals that were thought to have disappeared from Switzerland are now back in our countryside. However, the return of wolves, lynx and bears is becoming a source of conflict. Should we relax the laws that protect large predators such as these? YES If their populations begin to disturb the local environment, we should relax the laws on a case-by-case basis. Neither YES nor NO The CVP is in favour of relaxing the laws on wolves and beavers, but not on lynx. YES There is general agreement within the FDP that we should alter the laws to control wolf numbers as and where appropriate. We are against relaxing the laws across the board. NO The GLP will actively campaign for a referendum against the National Council’s anti-wolf law. NO The federal government should invest in preventive measures to protect farm animals, as this would benefit both wild animals and livestock. YES As a densely populated country, Switzerland is an unsuitable habitat for certain large predators. NO The SP is against any weakening of the laws protecting lynx, beavers, wolves, etc. We cannot tolerate wild animals and birds being pre- ventively decimated – without them having done any harm. Swiss living abroad have precious little opportunity of being elected to parliament. A dedicated constituency would significantly improve Swiss expatriates’ electoral prospects. Would you welcome such a thing? NO We believe that Swiss who live abroad have no less a chance of being elected than Swiss who live in Switzerland. NO Swiss expatriates are on an equal legal footing to their compatriots with regard to representation on the National Council. We need to remove the obstacles to exercising voting rights (via e-voting). NO “Quotas” or constituencies for indi- vidual communities go against Switzerland’s federal ethos and principles of democracy. Neither YES nor NO The GLP has not yet formulated a position on this issue. YES The “Fifth Switzerland” needs some form of political representa- tion that will take account of its specific interests and circum- stances. NO The cantons play a very important role in our federal system. They are the 26 electoral constituencies, and we should keep it like that. YES The SP has been advocating this for some time. Countries like Italy, France and Portugal have proved that it works. Additional questions and answers below: www.revue. ch