Swiss Review 5/2019

Swiss Review / September 2019 / No.5 24 OSA news There will be no e-voting option available to the “Fifth Switzerland” for the 2019 federal elections. The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) views this as amajor setback. The CSA therefore demanded more leadership from the Federal Council in re- gard to e-voting at its meeting during the Con- gress of the Swiss Abroad in Montreux. In a resolution drafted in Montreux, the CSA specifically calls on the Federal Council to ensure that there is a trustworthy, financially viable sys- tem in place for e-voting. Moreover, this system must be available to all voters of the “Fifth Swit- zerland” by no later than the 2023 federal elec- tions. While in Montreux, Foreign Minister Igna- zio Cassis promised only what had already been announced by the Federal Council in June: to re- frame the e-voting trial phase by the end of 2020. The e-voting setback is also hindering the re- forms of the CSA. It is highly unlikely that it will be able to implement its goal of introducing the direct election of its members without the electronic voting channel. The reform was thus postponed in Montreux. OSA President Remo Gysin had the following to say on the matter: “We’re delaying some- thing that we’d like to have sorted.” Framework agreement – a loaded term The term e-voting is not the only one causing unease for the CSA. It is also nervous about Switzerland’s framework agreement with the Euro- peanUnion (EU). The CSAhas assessed the development in the relation- ship between Switzerland and the EU as “worrying”. It is demanding that the Federal Council consider the concerns of the 458,000 Swiss liv- ing in the EUduring further clarifications of the framework agreement. The CSA’s content-based position has not changed in this regard: it sup- ports the freemovement of persons, andwants it to be regulated. Finally, the election manifesto approved by the CSA contains fur- ther political demands. Besides the core demand to make it easier rather thanmore difficult for the “Fifth Switzerland” to exercise their political rights, it also refers once again to the discrimination shown by the Swiss banks against Swiss people abroad. Talking of the 2019 elections: Montreuxwas also the placewhere the political parties com- peted for the votes of the “Fifth Switzerland”. Their performance dur- ing the last legislative term was the subject of heated debate: accord- ing to an analysis by swissinfo, the concerns of the “Fifth Switzerland” were best supported by the SP and least supported by the SVP. “What will tomorrow’s world hold?” – this was the topic of this year’s Congress of the Swiss Abroad. Remo Gysin introduced the nu- merous expert lectures on the topicwith the following remark: “There are points of no return all over the world.” His conclusion: “We have a clear duty to act.” (MUL) Political signals from Montreux: resolutions of the Council of the Swiss Abroad call on the Federal Council to act. Photo: Adrian Moser The “Fifth Switzerland” makes clear political demands The “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”, the Council of the Swiss Abroad, demands more leadership from the Federal Council on e-voting, and underlines the importance of the framework agreement for the 458,000 Swiss living in the EU. CSA election manifesto: ogy.de/aso-wahlmanifest Party ranking: ogy.de/swissinfo-ranking Candidates of the “Fifth Switzerland”: www.revue.ch educationsuisse Tel .+41 31 356 61 04 Fax+41 31 356 61 01 info@educationsuisse.ch www.educationsuisse.ch Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) Alpenstrasse 26 CH-3006 Berne Tel. +41 31 356 61 00 Fax +41 31 356 61 01 info@aso.ch www.aso.ch www.revue.ch www.swisscommunity.org Our partners: Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad Tel .+41 31 356 6116 Fax+41 31 356 61 01 info@sjas.ch www.sjas.ch