Swiss Review 4/2021

Swiss Review / August 2021 / No.4 33 A city like Basel would be unable to functionwithout all the cross-border commuters who prop up our health systemand practically every sector of the economy. You would certainly no- tice the difference eventually. That deep connection with Europe is now being called into question. The aban- donment of negotiations means that we have anything but clarity. It raises questions, not least because nobody bothered to think of the over 400,000 Swiss who live in the EU. You were already critical of Switzerland’s EU policy when you were National Council- lor – and you still are now. Key questions have shaped Swiss for- eign policy for as long as I can remem- ber. What do we want? And who is re- sponsible? Parliament’s right to have a say is enshrined in the Constitution. As is the people’s right to have the fi- nal word and call referendums where appropriate. But now the Federal Council has acted unilaterally. This strikes at the heart of our democracy. Does this make you want to campaign again in favour of Switzerland joining the EU? Let me put it this way: the Federal Council’s decision to pull out of the talks has put the possibility of EU membership into sharper focus again. It would be interesting to hear the Swiss Abroad speak out on such key matters. But critics say that the voice of the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) is nothing more than a whisper. The OSA has good political connec- tions nowadays. Our influence has in- creased. We liaise closely with parlia- mentarians and the relevant authorities. The CSA also represents the “Fifth Switzerland”muchmore ef- fectively than before. But I have to ad- mit that we are still a long way from wherewewant to be. If the CSAwants to increase its political clout, it needs to have greater legitimacy. We must therefore ensure that all Swiss adults living abroad are able to participate in the CSA elections in future. That is also how I believe democracy shouldwork. The plan is for e-voting to come into full use for the first time at the 2025 CSA elec- tions. Would that be a milestone? E-voting makes everything easier. That applies to federal and cantonal elections and popular votes. But hav- ing our own e-voting system is also crucial to conducting the CSA elec- tions. And if wewant a higher turnout, it is basically up to us to make it hap- pen. Take Australia, Mexico and the UK, for example, where expatriates on the ground have ensured that asmany Swiss as possible can vote. This iswhat we want to see. Are there any hot potatoes awaiting your successor? Just the usual issues. Many in the “Fifth Switzerland” are unable to exer- cise their political rights as Swiss citi- zens; the banks continue to be a thorn in our side; and the political squeeze on the Swiss Abroad shows no sign of abating here in Switzerland. In other words, there is increasing clamour within parliament to restrict the civil rights of the Swiss Abroad. Precisely. But if they want to renegoti- ate these civil rights, let us choose a completely different direction. Why don’t we create a dedicated constitu- ency for the “Fifth Switzerland”? This would provide the Swiss Abroad firstly with better representation and, sec- ondly, with much greater exposure. However, the main thing to be aware of is that the nature of mobility has changed. People tend to stay abroad for shorter periods of time. They come and they go. This is a strong argument against restricting the political voice of Swiss who live abroad. At the end of the day, our politically interested com- patriots abroad contribute greatly to Switzerland’s image as an open, inter- connected, sustainable, outward-look- ing country. What would Switzerland be like without the “Fifth Switzerland”? Only half of what it is. Remo Gysin, born in 1945, was an SP politician for many years and has been a member of the OSA Executive Committee since 2001. He became the OSA President in 2015 and will be stepping down from office at the end of August 2021. “Regarding the framework agreement, the Federal Council has acted unilaterally. This strikes at the heart of our democracy.”