Swiss Review 6/2020

Swiss Review / November 2020 / No.6 32 OSA news STEFANIE MATHIS-ZERFASS What is the Council of the Swiss Abroad? The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) represents the interests of all Swiss Abroad vis-à-vis the authorities and the general public in Swit- zerland. It is therefore referred to as the “Parliament of the Fifth Swit- zerland”. How long has the CSA existed? The CSA has existed in its current formsince 1989. Its forerunner was the New Helvetic Society, founded in 1919. What is the composition of the CSA? The CSA has 140 delegates, of whom 120 represent Swiss communi- ties abroad and 20 live in Switzerland. Out of this total of 140, two seats are reserved for delegateswho represent the young people in the Youth Parliament of the Swiss Abroad (YPSA). How are the seats distributed? The official regulations of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) govern howseats are distributed, stating that the CSAdetermines the number of delegates per umbrella organisation and per country or group of countries based on importance. In other words, the distri- bution of seats depends on how many Swiss Abroad there currently are per country or continent. The distribution of seats must also pro- vide for an adequate representation of Swiss communities in all parts of the world. At its virtual meeting on 10 July 2020, the CSA deter- mined that the distribution of seats during the 2021–25 parliament would be as shown below. Why does the CSA include Swiss-based delegates? The Swiss-based delegates represent the interests of the Swiss Abroad in their home country — representing the CSA within the relevant bodies (parliament, Federal Administration) and championing the cause of Swiss expatriates at a political level. Some are members of the National Council or the Council of States. Others represent insti- tutions or organisations. The CSA appoints these delegates based on the recommendations of the OSA. How are expatriate delegates elected? Unfortunately, the OSA is unable to offer e-voting as a centralised means of electing delegates directly in 2021. Unlike at the last elec- tions, there will be no e-voting pilot projects in individual countries either. This is because the e-voting platformdeveloped by the canton of Geneva is no longer available, and because e-voting has been dis- continued throughout Switzerland. When will direct elections be possible? The OSA has since identified a suitable e-voting system to enable di- rect voting. However, this system still lacks the necessary funding. The OSA is currently liaisingwith the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in this regard, having discussed the matter at a meet- ing with Federal Councillor and FDFA head Ignazio Cassis. It is con- fident of delivering a solution in time for the 2025 elections. How are the umbrella organisations coordinating the vote? At the forthcoming elections, the various umbrella organisations (or CSA-recognised Swiss associations, where applicable) will coor- Your chance to elect the new Council of the Swiss Abroad Between January and June 2021, Swiss expatriates around the world will vote to determine the composition of the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), referred to as the “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”. We have put together the following FAQ about the CSA and next year’s elections. YPSA 2 seats Oceania 6 seats Europe 59 seats Making an informed choice Not all countries share the same procedure for electing CSA delegates, so the vote cannot be centrally coordinated. Details of elections in individual countries and regions will therefore appear in the regional editions of “Swiss Review”. The respective Swiss associations and umbrella organisations that coordinate the ballot will provide details on how voting will take place as well as information about election events. Candidates should contact the editorial office of their local “Swiss Review” to have their election profiles published in the regional edition. Your election hub SwissCommunity.org will play a key role during the elections, allowing voters to engage directly with candidates. You can ask questions, criticise, make suggestions, voice concerns and, naturally, discuss the issues that matter to you. www.swisscommunity.org Americas 31 seats Africa 7 seats Asia 15 seats