Swiss Review 5/2021

Swiss Review / October 2021 / No.5 23 MARC LETTAU The Council of the Swiss Abroad, the “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”, left no room for doubt following its meeting on 20August: it emphatically backed the election of Filippo Lom- bardi from Ticino as the successor to former National Councillor Remo Gysin (SP, BS), who steppeddown from his role as president of the Organisa- tionof the Swiss Abroad (OSA) after six years. The newpresident iswell known to the OSA: as the former OSA vice-president, Lombardi is familiar with its current agenda; and as one of the pioneers of the Swiss AbroadAct in force since 2015, he knows all about the issues relating to the 776,300 Swiss passport holders who live outside the country. Lombardi is currently a city councillor for Lugano. Until 2019, he represented the CVP, since renamed “Die Mitte” (The Centre), in the Council of States, of which he was a member for ten years. Switzerland-EU relationship is still a challenge In his farewell address, outgoing President Remo Gysin talked about gratitude. He expressed his thanks for the en- richingmeetingswith all the Swiss Abroad, who impressed himwith their “fascinatingmix of feeling Swiss and open- ness to the world”. In addition, he said he was not just leav- ing “anOSA that is on track” to his successor. There are also major challenges to face. For example, Lombardi will have to establish what the failed negotiations over a framework agreement with the EuropeanUnionmean for the 434,000 Swiss who live in the EU. Gysin’s verdict: “I am missing a strategy from the Federal Council.” It is unclear, “just what the Federal Council nowwants”. Filippo Lombardi said the Switzerland-EU relationshipwould undoubtedly shape the beginning of his presidency. He doesn’t see it as his role to tell the Swiss government how to orient its EUpolicy. How- ever, hewill demand that the government approach the sit- uation of the Swisswho live in the EUwith due seriousness. Otherwise expatriates will suffer the consequences sooner or later. In fact, Switzerland is already experiencing the first Filippo Lombardi succeeds Remo Gysin Remo Gysin stepped down from his role as president of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) at the end of August. The Council of the Swiss Abroad elected former Ticino member of the Council of States Filippo Lombardi as his successor. not inconsequential restrictions in the field of education (Erasmus) and research (Horizon). Lombardi sees the sec- ond key issue as e-voting: many Swiss Abroad will be una- ble to vote in Switzerlandwithout it. That would lessen the voice of the “Fifth Switzerland”. According to Lombardi, the Council of the Swiss Abroad also needs to becomemore representative. Again, e-voting is the answer. The newCouncil of the Swiss Abroad has approved two resolutions (see next page): it demands a “clear, transparent strategy” from the Swiss government to maintain the “achievement of freedom of movement” between Switzer- land and the EU. It alsowants all the vaccination certificates issued abroad to be recognised within Switzerland, pro- vided the vaccine is recognised by theWHO. revue.link/euresolution and: revue.link/impfresolution Filippo Lombardi, the new OSA president, con- siders Switzerland-EU relations and the rein- troduction of e-voting as priority issues. Photo: Marc Lettau Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Alpenstrasse 26, CH-3006 Berne Tel. +41 31 356 61 00 info@s wisscommunity.org | www.swisscommunity.org