Swiss Review 5/2021

Swiss Review / October 2021 / No.5 3 It is a big number as well as being entirely abstract: 82,000,000,000 Swiss francs. This is the sumspent on Swiss healthcare every year. Is it a lot or not thatmuch? The best way to answer that question is to break down the figure into somethingmore tangible: Swiss healthcare costs 800 francs per person every month. Or 3,200 francs for the average family of four – every month. A significant portion of these costs comes straight out of the family budget. This makes obligatory healthcare premi- ums in Switzerland impressively – or, depending on a person’s income, depressingly – high. At the same time, Swiss healthcare is not just expensive but also of excellent quality by international standards. Nevertheless, it is still anything but perfect. The “care” in Swiss healthcare is increasingly falling by the wayside as workers are being pushed ever closer to their limits, something that was the case even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pressure has become unhealthy. Moreover, as an ageing society demands more of its healthcare system, this pressure is only going to increase in the future. Healthcarework- ers are putting their own health at risk, as reported in this edition’s Focus article. A popular initiative calling for an overhaul of the healthcare systemwill go to a vote on 28 November. The initiative calls for an increase in staffing numbers and amajor increase in investment in training for the sector. Hardly anyone claims that the demands are entirely without justification. At the same time, the initiative presents a dilemma: increasing staffing numbers would make healthcare even more expensive – and there is no known rem- edy to heal all the ailments of the Swiss healthcare system. Many Swiss Abroad have another adverse development to contend with additionally. Since the Federal Council broke off negotiations with the Euro- pean Union over a framework agreement, many Swiss Abroad, especially those living in the EU, fear that they will be disadvantaged at some point. This is adding to the resentment that many people in the “Fifth Switzerland” have regarding the difficulties they facewhen registering their votes in Swiss elections. Therefore, the message for the newly elected President of the Organisa- tion of the Swiss Abroad, Ticino politician Filippo Lombardi, and for the radically overhauled Council of the Swiss Abroad is clear: their first duty is to deal with a couple of familiar challenges. MARC LETTAU, EDI TOR- IN-CHIEF Editorial 5 Mailbag 6 Focus Healthcare staff in Switzerland are being pushed to the brink 10 Images A snapshot of footballing highs and lows 12 Society When it comes to hemp, Bernard Rappaz knows no bounds 15 Literature Alfred A. Häsler’s work “Das Boot ist voll” (The boat is full) was a revelation to many 16 Science A Swiss summer of extremes News from your region 17 Report Uetendorf (BE), the village so far from the Swiss border 20 Politics A controversial idea: drawing lots to select judges instead of electing them 21 Swiss figures 22 SwissCommunity news Filippo Lombardi succeeds Remo Gysin as new President of the OSA The new Council of the Swiss Abroad: the names of all the elected delegates 27 Notes from the Federal Palace 30 Books / Sounds 31 Top pick / News Contents Swiss healthcare: is it still fit for purpose? Cover photo: iStockphoto “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad.