Emigrating at retirement age: personal voices As part of the research project, 5 couples and 25 individuals living today in Morocco and Spain shared their personal stories. Sophie and Laurent Dupraz* are among those who decided to leave Switzerland at retirement age. Ten years ago, they opted to move to Spain for economic reasons. When they were still living in Switzerland, it was important to them to be involved politically and to vote. This has not changed over the last ten years, as Sophie says: “I think it’s very important to keep myself informed about what’s happening in Switzerland and about the political issues discussed in this country, also for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Because it’s their future. It’s a way, if you like, to still be strongly connected to Switzerland.” The importance Sophie places on helping to shape the future of Switzerland for her children and grandchildren is also illustrated by her participation in the climate strike in Switzerland a few years ago. While taking part in referendums and elections did not have the same importance for all interviewees, an interest in staying informed about the economic and societal situation in Switzerland was expressed by many, such as Jean Mauron*, who has been living in Spain for two years: “I listen to “Radio Suisse Romande” every morning. No matter when I get up, I turn on my computer and listen to the news. I also open “La Liberté” two or three times a week to read the local news from Fribourg. Furthermore, I have a look at the “swissinfo” newsletter.” *Names changed holiday destination as well as a popular place to regularly meet family and friends, and to buy products that are hard to find elsewhere. In addition, 900 participants said they had visited Switzerland for cultural events, and 450 respondents had travelled to Switzerland for medical treatment. Simple money transfers Almost 450 respondents have transferred money to Switzerland in the last 12 months. These financial transactions were made for charitable reasons, to support family members, to pay for trips, or to move money to personal accounts in Switzerland. In addition, the approximately 1,000 participants who had their pension assets transferred from Switzerland to another country found that the process was very or fairly easy. Only five percent encountered difficulties in the process. Reading, staying informed, and voting Online newspapers, newsletters and websites are often used to stay informed about Switzerland. Contacts with family members in Switzerland also take place via various means of communication, notably by fixed or mobile phone, as well as via the internet and its applications. Finally, although almost half of the respondents are informed about electoral campaigns and referendums taking place in Switzerland, only a few of the participants actually vote. Laura Ravazzini is a post-doctoral researcher in the project on “transnational ageing” and co-responsible for the two quantitative surveys. Livia Tomás is a PhD candidate in the research project on “transnational ageing” and conducted the qualitative interviews with retirees living in Spain and Morocco. The project flyer gives a more detailed overview of the results of the second Transnational Ageing Survey. You can download the document here: revue.link/en55 44.5 % have gathered information about election campaigns and referendums in Switzerland via newspapers, conversations with family and friends, or the red voting booklet. 21.9 % have bought Swiss SIM cards for their mobile phone to communicate with loved ones in Switzerland or for other reasons. 35.2 % participate in Swiss referendums and elections. The number of people who vote is therefore lower than the number of people who stay informed about political issues. ✘ JA NEIN 74.3 % usually read a Swiss local or regional newspaper, a newsletter or visit websites to stay informed about the current situation in Switzerland. Swiss Review / October 2022 / No.5 23
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