Swiss Review 1/2021

Swiss Review / February 2021 / No.1 29 Mailbag IMPRINT: “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 47 th year of publication and is published in German, French, English and Spanish in 14 regional editions. It has a total circulation of 431,000, including 253,000 electronic copies. Regional news appears four times a year. The ordering parties are fully responsible for the content of advertisements and promotional inserts. This content does not necessarily represent the opinion of either the editorial office or the publisher. EDITORS: Marc Lettau (MUL), Editor-in-Chief; Stéphane Herzog (SH); Theodora Peter (TP); Susanne Wenger (SWE); Consular Directorate, Innovation and Partnerships, responsible for news.admin.ch EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Sandra Krebs TRANSLATION: SwissGlobal Language Services AG; LAYOUT: Joseph Haas, Zürich; PRINT: Vogt-Schild Druck AG, 4552 Derendingen POSTAL ADDRESS: Publisher, editorial office, advertising: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne, Tel.: +41313566110. Account: IBAN CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 / KBBECH22 Email: revue@aso.ch COPY DEADLINE for this edition: 29 November 2020 All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe to the magazine for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30 / abroad: CHF 50). Subscribers are sent the magazine direct from Berne. www.revue.ch CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please advise your local embassy or consulate. Do not write to the editorial office in Berne. The elections to the Council of the Swiss Abroad An election where only the members of certain associations can vote is a bit like no one apart from registered members of political parties being able to determine the composition of the National Council. Surely it should be easy to record every Swiss citizen living abroad – the various diplomaticmissions should have everyone’s address. To be a truly representative council, the CSA needs to get Switzerland’s embassies to conduct the elections. SEBAST IAN RENOLD, BRNO, CZECH REPUBL IC The CSA elections are for an exclusive club. It says in the last is- sue that “Any Swiss Abroad is entitled to vote, provided that they belong to a recognised Swiss association”. Yet Swiss Abroad affiliated to associations are a clear minority among Swiss living abroad. Therefore, delegates elected by association members cannot claim to “represent the interests of all Swiss Abroad”. Ademocratically elected “Parliament of the Fifth Swit- zerland” would be different to what we have now. ARTHUR MEYER, VIENNA , AUSTRIA What does our home soil sound like? A noisy soil is a healthy soil! There is more bio- diversity under than above the surface. These organisms are responsible for the environmen- tal benefits soils provide us. Very nice publica- tion by the “Swiss Review”. And important to grow awareness about the soil, usually not val- ued by people... seen by many as just dirt! Con- gratulations! CRIST INE MUGGLER, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZ I L Thank you for this very interesting piece. There is indeed a noticeable difference between organically and intensively cul- tivated land – the latter is devoid of life! What a fascinating study. AL AIN BONET, KIBBUTZ TZE’EL IM, ISRAEL A new-found miracle of nature – incredible! And something fromwhich we can all learn. Many thanks for this article. MARIANNE SF INAROL AKI -BÜHLER, CRETE, GREECE What a fantastic research, congratulations to the researchers and the “Swiss Review” for this wonderful publication. As an agroecologist and soil scientist I think we can promote this ap- proach in soil research in Brazil. GI LSON WALMOR DAHMER, MAT INHOS, PARANÁ , BRAZ I L Implications for the framework agreement after voters reject the “limitation initiative” A “resounding ‘yes’ to the bilateral re- lationship with the EU” is by nomeans a yes to an agreement that states that one party – the European Court of Jus- tice – would adjudicate disputes be- tween Switzerland and the EU. That would be like a child’s father settling a quarrel with someone else’s child. No, Switzerland – your sov- ereignty is more important than bowing to diktats from Lux- embourg. I am grateful that a party like the SVP are opposed. They are still Switzerland’s biggest party, so less of the schaden- freude, please. JÜRG SCHWENDENER, PHUKET, THAI L AND History has shaped the political framework of Swiss democ- racy, which is heavily influenced by our country’s unique mountain geography. This is why the Swiss people alone must continue to have the final word on how Switzerland’s law- makers run the country. If there is to be any rapprochement with the EU, Switzerland must insist on having special status. DORIS THUT, MUNICH, GERMANY It is quite interesting to see that most of the reader comments here are critical of the EU. In no way do they reflect political at- titudes among thewider Swiss expatriate community. Anyone who thinks that their nationalistic, backward-looking outlook is the answer to all our ills is in cloud cuckoo land. CHRISTOPH TWERENBOLD, COLOGNE, GERMANY