OCTOBER 2023 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad The Swiss Alps are less rock-solid than we thought Benches – a ubiquitous piece of Swiss outdoor furniture Nowhere are Swiss voters more conscientious than in Schaffhausen
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When we visit the Swiss Alps, we see pastures, glittering mountain streams, steep cliffs and precipitous peaks. What we do not see are two tectonic plates colliding deep beneath our feet. The Alps were formed when the African continental plate came up against the Eurasian continental plate, thrusting the earth’s crust upwards. Our present-day view above ground is but a snapshot of this ongoing geological process. If we lived long enough, we would notice the Matterhorn growing by around 1,500 metres every one million years as the African and Eurasian plates continue to collide. Likewise, we would see how the outside elements shave more or less 1,500 metres off the top of the Matterhorn every one million years. This permanent give-and-take gets lost in the supposed here-and-now of immovable, unyielding, rock-solid Swiss mountains epitomising a country made in their image. But this image is crumbling. It is not only our Alpine glaciers that are receding in real time. The mountains themselves seem more fragile. Dangerous rockfalls and landslides are a physical symptom of this malaise. They also undermine the myth of permanency and have an acute emotional impact. We delve into this issue more closely in our lead article, with good reason following the one-million-cubic-metre avalanche of rocks that fell just short of the village of Brienz-Brinzauls this summer – the latest in a line of dramatic landslide events that include Randa in 1991, Gondo in 2000, and Bondo in 2017. Most recently at the end of August, a mass of earth and rock rolled down the slope above Schwanden in the canton of Glarus, destroying or burying more than half a dozen houses and barns – as if we needed further proof that our mountains are moving. Apropos the Alps – anyone can sit down and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery from a plethora of benches dotted around our country. Public benches tend to be positioned where the local tourist board thinks the best view is. They are a ubiquitous piece of outdoor furniture. Switzerland boasts myriad benches of different shapes and sizes – from sturdy to rickety, large to small, from bright red to natural and weather-worn – in every possible and impossible place. Read all about it in our article. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Rockfalls and landslides are a growing challenge for Switzerland 8 News Diplomat Alexandre Fasel takes over Swiss baton in difficult EU talks 10 Society A place to sit down – benches are everywhere in Switzerland 14 Report Switzerland’s keenest voters News from your region 17 Switzerland in figures Lots of little Emmas 18 Nature and the environment We are recycling more plastic, but we are also consuming more plastic 20 Literature Jakob Vetsch’s 100-year-old novel offers a window into the future 22 Politics How does the “Fifth Switzerland” vote? Fuelling the neutrality debate – the question of Swiss rapprochement with NATO 24 Notes from the Federal Palace 27 SwissCommunity news The Council of the Swiss Abroad wants expatriates to have a stronger voice 31 Discussion When continents collide Cover photo: Brienz-Brinzauls narrowly escaped a huge rock avalanche in June 2023. The Grisons hamlet had been evacuated beforehand. Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 3 Editorial Contents
4 Swiss Alps less than rock-solid Focus Photo Keystone
5 vided we can live there and still protect ourselves, our homes and our transport infrastructure. Suddenly, the mountains are moving more than they used to. And not only in BrienzBrinzauls. They have become less predictable. Must we reassess our relationship with them? Geological processes “at a tipping point” Flavio Anselmetti, professor of geology at the University of Bern, says two separate things are taking place here that are commonly intertwined. “Firstly, mountain ranges like the Alps are constantly being pulled, pushed and contorted. Landslides and rockslides are perfectly normal in view of these geological forces,” he tells us. Secondly, the parameters are now changing as a result of global warming. The Earth has a long history of alternating naturally between warmer and colder periods. However, the current era is unusual in terms of how quickly temperatures are rising this time. And nature is trying to regain its balance amid the tumult, Anselmetti continues. Geological processes that would otherwise be considered normal in the Alps are, in his words, “at a tipping point” because of how quickly the Earth is heating up. Permafrost degradation represents the clearest example. Permafrost is soil and rocky material that stays frozen continuously. In the Alps, it tends to be found above 2,500 metres. Climate change is causing permafrost to thaw more often and for longer periods every summer. Permafrost is the “glue” that helps We like to view our beautiful Swiss Alps as an immovable, unyielding natural barrier, but they are less rock-solid than we thought. The earth seems to be crumbling – literally – under our feet. Our mountains are moving. JÜRG STEINER Brienz-Brinzauls, situated above the Albula Pass in the canton of Grisons, made headlines in early summer 2023 when its 80 or so inhabitants were ordered to evacuate over fears that a huge mass of rocks would tumble down the unstable slopes of Piz Linard and obliterate their small hamlet. Switzerland’s media kept close tabs on the situation, with tabloid “Blick” even setting up a live webcam of the unstable mountain. It made news across the pond. “A Swiss village is warned to flee its shifting mountainside” read a “New York Times” headline. The journalist quoted an inhabitant of Brienz who likened the impending rockfall to a tornado: the rocks would simply choose the path of least resistance, regardless of whether anyone or anything was in the way. Switzerland’s famous Alps were not so immovable after all. Brienz-Brinzauls essentially had a very lucky, narrow escape on the night of 15/16 June 2023, when a massive landslide – enough rocks to fill around 300,000 lorries – stopped just short of the evacuated village. No one was injured. Residents were able to return to their homes a few weeks later. The danger remains But this is not the end of it. Future landslides cannot be ruled out. At the same time the ground underneath Brienz-Brinzauls is wobbly too. The plateau on which the village stands has been slipping away slowly but surely for decades – at a rate of around one metre a year. Buildings and roads are cracking. Underground pipes are snapping. This makes it all the more surprising that the authorities in Grisons have no intention of giving up on Brienz-Brinzauls. They are doing everything they can to ensure that the hamlet remains habitable in the long term. Some 40 million Swiss francs worth of drainage tunnels and holes have been earmarked to improve stability underfoot. Both Grisons and the federal government are bankrolling the project, which might allow residents to stay put. Landslides in Switzerland like the one in Brienz-Brinzauls almost always attract a lot of attention. They have become more frequent in recent years as global warming compromises the geological stability of our Alpine landscapes. Each new incidence is now a media event in itself. The Alps as an indomitable fortress and a place of refuge Coverage naturally focuses on the circumstances of each landslide. But the sight of a mountainside crumbling before our eyes also has an acute emotional impact. The reasons for this are historical. Switzerland’s redoubt strategy during the Second World War cemented the legend of the Alps as an indomitable fortress and symbol of national resistance. If Hitler’s troops had invaded, our government and military commanders would have withdrawn to a network of hidden bunkers in the mountains, from where they would have coordinated the country’s defence. Since then, we have regarded the Alps as a place of refuge as well as natural beauty – proSwiss Review / October 2023 / No.5
hold mountain faces together at high altitudes. When it melts, the risk of sudden rockfall increases. Then again, we should try not to oversimplify matters and claim that every landslide or rockfall is a result of global warming, he adds. Or that climate change means the risks have automatically become greater. For instance, scientists have known about and been keeping a close eye on the unstable slope above Brienz-Brinzauls for decades. The hamlet is situated at a relatively low altitude, and no direct link can be made to the rise in temperatures. Yet mountainside degradation in other circumstances could well accelerate if, say, climate change leads to an increase in heavy rainfall events. Or if protective forest is thinned out because certain tree species are unable to cope with a proliferation of droughts. Millions of francs for monitoring and prevention Geographer Käthi Liechti is a scientific staff member of the Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements research unit at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). She is in charge of the Swiss flood and landslide damage database, which has been recording damage from debris flows, landslides and rockfalls in adWe regard the Alps as a place of refuge as well as natural beauty – provided we can live there. authorities and the general public approach the new realities of life in the Alps. Switzerland’s populated areas are expanding, with infrastructure taking on greater importance. This increases the risk of events like landslides causing major damage. Regardless of whether or not such events are becoming more frequent due to global warming, Switzerland is, in other words, certainly more exposed than before. Having said this, Liechti believes that Over one million cubic metres of rock thundered down Piz Linard towards Brienz-Brinzauls on the night of 15/16 June 2023. The Grisons hamlet had been evacuated beforehand. Photo: Keystone Switzerland’s protection and monitoring capabilities have become more advanced from an organisational and technical perspective, incorporating forecasting and early warning systems as well as infrastructure like retention basins and protective walls. “The federal government and the cantons currently spend several million francs a year on mitigating natural risks,” Liechti tells us. This has helped to minimise damage, she adds, with the costs incurred from natural disasters not having changed significantly in recent decades. No longer at the mercy of fate Put simply, the more the Alps crumble, the more work Switzerland puts in to manage the consequences. We are no longer at the mercy of fate. Whereas the famous landslides of the past often ended in tragedy, we are much more likely now to get a handle on events before they occur. In 1806, the residents of Goldau (canton of Schwyz) would often hear the sound of tree roots snapping at night on the mountain above. They also began to notice fissures and cracks forming on the slopes. But they did nothing. No one even suggested evacuating. Following heavy rainfall at the beginning of September that year, a huge mass of rock and debris came sliding down the mountain, killing almost 500 people and destroying much of the village. Some 75 years later, churchgoers attending their September morning Sunday service in the village of Elm heard the sound of rockfall from the nearby mountain, which was being quarried for slate at the time. Unperturbed, the congregation carried on as normal. In fact, some locals even ventured up the slope later to get a better view. An avalanche of rock slid into the valley that afternoon. Over 100 inhabitants perished. dition to naturally triggered floods for over 50 years. However, Liechti says she cannot clearly state whether debris flows, landslides and rockfalls in the mountains have become more or less common, not least because you not only have to consider changes in the natural environment but also in how the Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 6 Focus
Goldau and Elm were unavoidable disasters, people said at the time. A God-fearing public mistrusted the fact-based approach to preventing further tragedies. Spirit of solidarity But what the major landslides of the 19th century did bring about was a feeling of national solidarity. After the Goldau disaster, there was a countrywide fundraising push – the first of its kind – to help the village get back on its feet. This and other similar humanitarian campaigns uniting the different regions of the country were subsequently “touted as being very Swiss”, according to Christian Pfister, professor emeritus in environmental history at the University of Bern. They helped Switzerland develop its own particular identity and point of difference from other nations, he writes. In neighbouring countries, the catalyst for uniting people was war. This spirit of solidarity has persisted up to the present day. Following each of the three major Swiss landslides of the 20th and 21st centuries – Randa in 1991, Gondo in 2000, and Bondo (where residents were evacuated in time) in 2017 – the relevant member of the Federal Council visited the disaster area in person. The message? That the entire country stood shoulder to shoulder with those affected. But there was also a subtext: we will do everything in our power to defy the mountains. When landslides occur or threaten to occur, Switzerland will not simply give up the fight – not even if global warming makes things more complicated. Dodging the rockfalls Since Goldau in 1806, giving up on landslide-endangered or landslide-affected settlements has never been an option. It has always been about protecting these hotspots more effectively. “Take Brienz-Brinzauls, where they pulled off a quite stunning feat,” says Flavio Anselmetti. In a complex geological environment, they managed to predict the danger correctly and evacuate the village “at just the right time before the event actually occurred”. You cannot really do a better job than that. But it is not always Residents of Bondo (canton of Grisons) watch as a mudslide rips through their village on 25 August 2017. The event was triggered by a massive rockfall that had taken place two days previously on Piz Cengalo. Photo: Keystone A 40-million-cubic- metre avalanche of rock came hurtling down the mountain towards Goldau on 2 September 1806, killing almost 500 people and leaving a trail of devastation. Illustration: Franz Xaver Triner (1767–1824) and Gabriel Lory (1763–1840); Schwyz cantonal archives Goldau and Elm were unavoidable disasters, people said at the time. A God-fearing public mistrusted the fact-based approach to preventing further tragedies. such plain sailing. Professional mountaineer Roger Schäli knows what it feels like to have rocks falling around him. He has scaled the north face of the Eiger well over 50 times, often via the original route that traverses the infamous “White Spider” – a snowfield that now melts completely in summer. “Rising temperatures have taken an unbelievable toll on the Eiger,” he says. “A lot more melted ice runs down the north face. Rockfalls are more serious and more frequent. You are protected to a certain extent during the steepest parts of the ascent, because the rocks simply fly over your head.” Nowadays, the classic route up the north face is only really possible in winter when the weather is freezing. The problems that a professional like Schäli has encountered can also be an issue for amateurs and tourists. The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) manages 153 mountain huts in Switzerland, many of which are potentially at risk from global warming. In 2021, for the first time ever, the SAC closed a hut, the Mutthornhütte on the Kanderfirn glacier, due to an acute risk of rockfall. It intends to rebuild the hut in a safe location. The new structure will cost 3.5 million francs. Defying the mountains can be a costly business. Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 7
Credit Suisse (I): CS brand to disappear The demise of big bank Credit Suisse (see also “Swiss Review” 4/2023) continues to make headlines, with UBS bosses announcing at the end of August that Credit Suisse (CS) is to disappear as a brand in its own right by 2025 once UBS has fully absorbed CS’s Swiss business. UBS pledged on 19 March 2023 that it would take over the ailing bank, its erstwhile competitor. Back then, it remained unclear whether and in what form CS would be able to continue as an independent entity. (MUL) Credit Suisse (II): Massive job cuts At the end of August, UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti halted speculation over the fallout from Credit Suisse (CS), saying the integration of CS into UBS would result in 3,000 job cuts. External banking experts expect this number to be a lot higher, because Ermotti’s figure does not include jobs abroad, early retirements or voluntary terminations. The “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ) reported that around 27,000 jobs were likely to go, according to financial experts, with thousands of external specialists also set to lose their jobs on top of the many layoffs and departures. With Ermotti having earmarked 10 billion Swiss francs in cost savings, 27,000 job cuts are a minimum estimate, says the NZZ. (MUL) Credit Suisse (III): UBS notches up a huge profit UBS also appears to have benefited from its takeover of ailing Credit Suisse (CS), having posted a net profit of 29 billion US dollars in the second quarter of 2023 – the quarter that followed the spectacular buyout. It cost 3 billion Swiss francs for UBS to acquire its struggling competitor. The boost in earnings suggests that the value of CS was much higher. This is also good news for the Swiss authorities, with UBS deciding at the start of August to ditch a public liquidity backstop from the Swiss National Bank that was guaranteed by the federal government. UBS also terminated a 9-billion-franc loss protection agreement with the government. However, the last big bank standing remains an enormous risk for Switzerland given its de facto state guarantee, warn experts. (MUL) SBB carrying more passengers than ever before Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is back in profit for the first time since 2019, having raked in 99 million Swiss francs in the first half of 2023 – a significantly improved result over the corresponding period in the previous year. The latest passenger figures are not only back to pre-pandemic levels, but are even surpassing them. A record 1.33 million people travelled by train in the first half of 2023. (MUL) Lia Wälti She is the beating heart and driving force of the Swiss women’s national football team. Lia Wälti captained the Swiss ladies to first place in their group at the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. However, they then succumbed by a score of 5-1 to eventual cup winners Spain in the first round of the knockout stage. The professional women’s game in Switzerland is still rather underdeveloped by international standards. Moreover, this is unlikely to change by the 2025 European Championships when Switzerland will host the tournament for the first time. Nonetheless, Wälti and her fellow players hope the tournament will provide a platform for promoting the next generation of female players and increasing recognition of women’s football. The 30-year-old had to move abroad to realise her dream of a professional career. Wälti currently plies her trade in one of the world’s top women’s leagues at London club Arsenal. The midfielder grew up in Emmental, where she used to kick a ball around with the boys on the school playground. Following spells with FC Langnau and Berne club Young Boys (YB), she moved to Germany at the age of 20 to join Turbine Potsdam, where Wälti quickly acquired the captain’s armband. In 2018 came her big move to Arsenal. Lia Wälti is not just committed to promoting women’s football; she also cares deeply about the values that go with the game, such as tolerance, fairness, and diversity. Wälti wants to convey these values to society “in a positive way”, as she recently told newspaper “NZZ am Sonntag”. Lia Wälti has many ideas on how to do that, for example a children’s book about a young woman footballer. She may not be able to change the world, but she would at least like to “make a difference”. THEODORA PETER Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 8 Top pick News
9 THEODORA PETER It’s now over two years since negotiations broke down over an institutional framework agreement with the EU. During this time, Brussels-based Swiss chief negotiator Livia Leu has been examining ways to resolve the main sticking points, such as questions related to wage protection, state aid or access to social benefits for EU citizens in Switzerland. However, Leu will not be involved in any future negotiations. She vacated the EU job at the end of August for a move to Berlin as the Swiss ambassador to Germany. The time is ripe for change, the 62-year-old said in interviews with the press. The Federal Council approved the parameters for a formal negotiating mandate with the EU at the end of June, while she was still in office. “This is a very important step towards negotiations,” asserted the outgoing state secretary. She presided over ten rounds of exploratory talks as well as about 30 technical meetings. However, it’s still all to play for: “We’ve made our move, but we still have to score.” New state secretary on the ball The metaphorical ball has now been passed to Leu’s successor Alexandre Fasel. The new state secretary at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs is the sixth Swiss top diplomat to take on the intricate EU dossier. The 62-year-old Fribourg native has spent almost his whole career in the diplomatic service, including spells as ambassador in London and most recently as special representative for science diplomacy in Geneva. However, he also worked at Credit Suisse at the start of the noughties, where he spent three years in charge of Formula 1 sponsoring. When asked by a journalist whether his passion for speed would find an outlet in the EU negotiations, Fasel answered diplomatically: “I am also enough of a mountain man to realise that steady progress is what takes you furthest.” The red lines The Federal Council has set out its red lines for new negotiations with the parameters issued before the summer break. The small print is understandably not in the public domain. Nonetheless, the government has clearly confirmed its goal: “To stabilise the current bilateral path and develop it in a customised way.” That means the Federal Council does not just want to renew the previous agreements – including free movement of persons – but also to conclude new treaties, on the supply of electricity for example. The government also wants Switzerland to rejoin the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, as the country’s scientific and research community has EU negotiations: time to try again The bilateral crisis between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) is not over. A rapprochement may nonetheless be on the cards. The Federal Council aims to have defined a specific negotiation mandate by the end of the year. felt the impact of having been downgraded to “non-associated third country” status (see 5/22 October edition of Swiss Review). By the end of the year, the exploratory talks should be at a stage where the Federal Council can decide whether it wants to resume formal negotiations with the EU from 2024. However, it may well take longer than that to resolve the current bilateral crisis. revue.link/europapolitik Outgoing chief negotiator Livia Leu shares a football metaphor: “We’ve made our move, but we still have to score.” Alexandre Fasel is the sixth Swiss top diplomat in nine years to take on the intricate EU dossier. Photos: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 News
Switzerland and its bench culture Whether by the woods, lakes, on the mountain slopes or in the city parks: wherever you go in Switzerland, you are never too far from a bench. The bench is not just a handy place to sit; it is also a policy tool. The bench is at the interface between keeping up appearances and having fun in public areas. DENISE LACHAT It is reasonable to assume that a person would not spend hours standing on a street corner observing the passers-by. However, a person doing exactly that while sitting on a bench would barely merit a second glance. In fact, this person could even engage in conversation with complete strangers, talk freely and get to know people. That’s why older, single people sometimes spend whole afternoons on the bench at the bus stop. “People like to sit near the action,” says Sabina Ruff, who is in charge of the social environment in the town of Frauenfeld in Thurgau. She mentions Bullingerplatz in Zurich and the Zollhaus terrace, also in Zurich. “You have trains going there, bicycles, pedestrians and cars too. Sechseläutenplatz in Zurich is another good example: it has lots of chairs for people to place where they wish to sit.” The social aspect The bench is indeed a place for socialising, confirms Renate Albrecher. The sociologist should know – she works as a research assistant at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology at ETH Lausanne and has founded an association to promote Switzerland’s bench culture. This association maps the locations of benches in Switzerland and shares information on benches that people generally don’t know about, supported by many likeminded people who upload their photos to the platform. Albrecher says that the first Swiss benches were located at crossroads and stations – in other words, places to watch people coming and going. As tourism grew, benches were placed wherever there was a good view to encourage visitors to come. One of the first tourist benches was at the famous Giessbach waterfalls in the canton of Berne. It enabled people to contemplate wild nature, which was something of a motif for artists at the time. Moreover, as hiking trails emerged in tandem with the appearance of benches, “the English did not have to soil their fine footwear,” notes the sociologist. Nowadays benches are simply part of the scenery in the great Swiss outdoors, whether at lakes, rivers, or in the mountains. Their ubiquity even in the remotest places of the smallest tourist location is also due to the efforts of the many associations working to make their locations more attractive. After all, these associations have two hundred years of experience in the art of bench placement. The functional bench In urban areas, by contrast, benches can be found at less attractive locations. No view, street noise – but there’s a bench. Jenny Leuba, project manager at Pedestrian Mobility SwitFrom simple to sturdy to futuristic. From lakes and parks to village streets and city centres. Benches in Switzerland come in all shapes and sizes. Photos: Keystone (4), provided (1) 10 Society
zerland, can explain. The bench may be halfway between the shopping centre and bus stop or on a steep incline. “Some people, especially the elderly, need somewhere to catch their breath and take a break,” explains Leuba, thus alluding to another purpose of the bench: people need to be able to move around town on foot. That includes older people, families with children, the sick, people with injuries or disabilities and the people accompanying them. These pedestrians need somewhere to sit. Benches add cohesiveness to districts and let people recharge their batteries. Renate Albrecher refers to benches as filling stations for pedestrians. Part of mobility planning Jenny Leuba has designed bench placement concepts in several cities and municipalities in Switzerland and, in doing so, has come to an astonishing realisation. Although a bench costs between up to five thousand Swiss francs, the authorities do not know how many benches are in their city. She believes this is because of the arbitrary allocation of responsibility for squares, parks and streets. “There is no department responsible for public areas, so we’re lacking that overview.” That is also why benches tend to be overlooked in mobility planning. “There is no one to lobby for benches,” laments Albrecher. The three experts agree that most cities have potential for expanding their bench network. Moreover, they argue that benches are not in the places in which they would be most used, for example in residential areas where many old people live: “The further you go from the centre, the fewer benches you find.” Conflicting needs Wood is Renate Albrecher’s favourite material. Most people also prefer wood, according to surveys. However, city councils prefer something longer-lasting and resistant to vandalism, and possibly even with the ability to stop cars. Hence the prevalence of concrete and metal. However, it’s hard for senior citizens to stand up when seated on a block of concrete and metal is too hot in summer and too cold in winter. How can public areas, which “by definition belong to everyone”, as Sabina Ruff points out, be accessible to everyone at any time of night or day? The key is participation. Albrecher has developed a straightforward browser app as part of a European research project that has been tested in Munich as well as in other places. It is a success: “People who use benches and don’t normally contribute to things like this also cooperated.” District inspections are being organised in Swiss cities at the instigation of Health PromoRenate Albrecher, founder and president of the association in support of benches in Switzerland (Verein zur Förderung der Schweizer Bankkultur) finds wood the best material for benches. In fact, most bench users prefer wood. Photo: François Wavre, Lundi13 Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 11
tion Switzerland. And they are also yielding results. “The authorities are now more aware of the issue,” says Jenny Leuba of Pedestrian Mobility Switzerland. The outdoor living room As seating around stations has been removed or made less comfortable in recent years to discourage people from lingering too long, some Swiss cities have developed a trend by bringing a living-room atmosphere to public spaces. This is done by blocking off sections of road or converting carparks. In Berne, for example, part of Waisenhausplatz has had a stage, seating, play areas and green islands during the summer since 2018. As it’s just a temporary arrangement (during summer), there was no need for a long and involved approval process and the project was implemented quickly, says Claudia Luder, project manager for Design and Utilisation at Berne Directorate of Civil Engineering. She also manages the Kompetenzzentrum öffentlicher Raum (centre of competence for public areas), which promotes cooperation between the different departments in Berne and the locals – a prime example of coordination and participation. Temporary installations also reduce concerns about noise and littering, says Luder, referring to the conflicting uses of an area with facilities on offer. These issues are mitigated either through positive experiences with provisional arrangements, as in Berne, or through some technical tricks, something Jenny Leuba knows about. Two benches facing each other appeal to big groups, as do well-lit places. Niches are also popular. The city of Chur also has a good approach to public seating: shop owners place brightly coloured benches outside during the day and take them in at night, says Leuba. In conclusion, some Swiss cities and municipalities are on the way – each at their own pace – to organising public areas similar to what Sabina Ruff discovered to her delight in Ljubljana during the summer. That is where Slovenian architect and urbanist Jože Plečnik hailed from. Plečnik celebrated the city as a stage for life, and public areas as a venue for community and democracy, says Ruff. That is what is needed: town planning that focuses on the needs of the people. As Ruff puts it: “We need urban areas with something to offer, so people will enjoy spending time there.” bankkultur.ch Running the gamut – from clean benches and graffitied benches, to weather-worn benches and pristine red benches in Alpine forests. Photos: Keystone “We need urban areas with something to offer, so people will enjoy spending time there.” Sabina Ruff 12 Society
13 STÉPHANE HERZOG In recent years, people of all ages in Switzerland have become accustomed to going to their local chemist or specialist outlet to buy cannabidiol (CBD) oil, one of the numerous compounds found in cannabis. They use the oil to relieve stress, pain and insomnia. CBD oil can be inhaled, consumed orally or absorbed through the skin. “CBD oil is popular among a wide range of people,” says a Fribourg chemist who specialises in herbal medicine. “For example, I have a mother who buys it for her autistic son. It’s better than taking antipsychotics.” Yet some retailers decided to stop selling CBD oil at the end of 2022. This was in response to a federal circular prohibiting the sale of CBD oil except with the addition of a substance to make the product unsuitable for consumption – you then apply the oil to your skin instead. CBD oil is now prescription-only. Any doctor who prescribes it must inform the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) every time they do so. In most cases, the cost of the prescription will not be covered. No nutritional or medical value The pushback against CBD oil began in Geneva, where the cantonal chemist conducted a series of tests revealing issues related to the amount of CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis) in certain products, which was sometimes found to be “above the toxicological reference value”. “These products cannot be sold because they fail to meet nutritional guidelines and are not sufficiently safe,” says Geneva’s cantonal chemist Patrick Edder. “If a product has no nutritional or medical value, we cannot include it in our list,” explains his Neuchâtel counterpart Yann Berger. “As such, there is no need to test it. We have prohibited it, full stop.” “Litte risk of addiction” The Swiss Association for Rheumatology Patients rejects this view. “How will patients in pain continue to have access to edible CBD oil?” asks spokesperson Patrick Frei. Board member of the Swiss Society of Cannabis in Medicine, Barbara Broers, is a doctor herself: “We must abide by the law, that goes without saying. And what we had was a less-than-perfect situation. But it was a fairly expensive product to buy. People took a few drops before bedtime – there was little risk of addiction. Consuming CBD oil is probably better than taking benzodiazepines, buying products in shops or online without advice from a chemist, or smoking CBD flowers for that matter.” Ignoring the ban Some are ignoring the ban. The aforementioned chemist from Fribourg continues to order CBD oil from Swiss and German wholesalers, saying he refers to a data sheet to confirm the CBD content in each product he buys. A chemist in Berne says her CBD products will soon be out of stock. She will not be ordering any more, even though she wants to. The vice-chair of the trade association of the Swiss cannabis industry, Cédric Heeb, believes the ban has had a considerable impact on CBD manufacturing in Switzerland. “The people who bought CBD oil were normal people like you and me,” he says. Heeb’s Geneva-based company PhytoXtract is one of the rare businesses to have successfully transitioned to manufacturing a CBD oil approved by Swissmedic, the national authority responsible for the authorisation and supervision of therapeutic products. “The rest of the market is online.” Meanwhile, a proportion of customers have reverted to smoking CBD. Doesn’t this defeat the object of the ban? “Smokeable CBD is a tobacco product and regulated as such,” says Alda Breitenmoser, who heads the Swiss Association of Cantonal Chemists and tells us she understands the level of feeling on this issue. “But if there is a risk to consumers, we have a duty to act.” CBD oil in Switzerland – popular but banned Since the end of 2022, chemists and other retail outlets in Switzerland have been prohibited from selling edible cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a cannabis-derived product that is said to relieve pain and anxiety. This ban is counterproductive, say some within the medical and pharmacy professions. CBD producer Frederic Couderc at his cannabis plantation in Sierre. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 Society
SUSANNE WENGER Shortly before arriving in the town of Schaffhausen, we catch a glimpse of the majestic Rhine Falls from the window of our train – a huge torrent of water thundering over the cliffs. This natural wonder and national attraction is Schaffhausen’s calling card. The 86,000 people who live in the canton of Schaffhausen have a different claim to fame, albeit one much less well known: nowhere else in Switzerland is voter turnout so high, surpassing the national average by 15 to 20 percentage points for elections and popular votes at federal level. For example, the three federal votes of 2022 saw an average voter turnout in Schaffhausen of 66 per cent, compared to a paltry 45 per cent across Switzerland. Some 60 per cent of the Schaffhausen electorate exercised their voting rights in the 2019 National Council elections. The average nationwide turnout was only 45 per cent. Switzerland will elect a new parliament in October, coinciding with the publication of this edition of “Swiss Review”. Schaffhausen’s voters will likely return to the ballot box in droves. Why is turnout in this northerly canton higher than anywhere else in Switzerland? “In our DNA” Maybe Schaffhausen’s picturesque old quarter can give us a clue. Christian Ritzmann, the deputy chancellor of the canton of Schaffhausen, works here in the government building. He is one of the people responsible for coordinating elections and popular votes in the canton. “Voting is deeply ingrained in Schaffhausen,” he says. “It is in our DNA.” But there is another factor at play. Voting has been mandatory in Schaffhausen for almost 150 years. It was also mandatory in other cantons after the creation of the modern federal Swiss state, but only in Schaffhausen does the obligation still apply. If you miss any vote, you must pay a small fine of six Swiss francs to your municipality. That is unless you have a good excuse, e.g. holidays, professional commitments, illness. Or if you return your blank voting papers no later than three days after the relevant election or popular vote. Hence the obligation to vote is a lot less strict in practice, says Ritzmann. “It is a civic duty, but we are not coercing people.” Schaffhausen, a small canton on the border Mandatory voting – which does not apply to people aged 65 or over, nor to Schaffhausen natives living abroad – seems to enjoy wide acceptance among the local population. A popular initiative to abolish it was rejected at the ballot box 40 years ago. People view the obligation to vote as a Schaffhausen speciality, says Ritzmann. They are in favour of it, because politics is deeply rooted in Schaffhausen. The canton is relatively small, and there is a greater proximity and familiarity between policymakers and the public. “You can bump into our politicians in the pedestrian precinct, on the bus and in restaurants.” Although the moneSwitzerland’s champion voters Schaffhausen, the most northerly canton in Switzerland, consistently boasts the highest turnout in national elections and popular votes. It is also the only canton where voting is mandatory. But this is not the only reason why people there are so keen to go to the polls. tary penalty is more symbolic than anything else, it may also be playing a role to encourage people to vote, says Hannes Germann, long-time Schaffhausen SVP member of the Council of States. “Who wants to pay the state more than absolutely necessary?” But political awareness is another key factor, he adds, attributable among other things to Schaffhausen’s location on the border with Germany. This led to tensions before and during the Second World War in particular. “Consequently, people felt compelled to talk about politics.” Civic duty “We have a lively political scene with many stakeholders both young and old,” says Germann’s election opponent Simon Stocker, who is standing as the local SP candidate for the Council of States. Stocker believes that mandatory voting has a positive influence. He says that people also regard their civic duty as a privilege, so they would probably still vote in high numbers even if they were not formally obliged to do so. Not that he would ever want to scrap obligatory voting, he hastens to add. Many others share his view. “Mandatory voting is unique and it belongs to Schaffhausen.” Schaffhausen’s weekly market is just a short stroll from the cantonal government building. Among the market-goers are voices both for and against mandatory voting. “It should be optional,” says a 42-yearold care provider who insists she would still vote regardless. Many only go to the ballot box to save money, not because they are genuinely interested. Others who wish to vote, like the mentally handicapped, are unable to do so. “Mandatory voting is no bad thing,” counters an Schaffhausen is the epitome of a border canton. It shares 152 kilometres of its boundary with Germany and only 33 kilometres with its two neighbouring cantons Zurich and Thurgau. Higher, further, faster, more beautiful? In search of the somewhat different Swiss records. This edition: The keenest voters of them all. Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 14 Report
motions aimed at copying the Schaffhausen model, the ritual complaint being that not even half of the electorate in Switzerland bother to vote on average – quite a contrast from the halcyon days of the early 20th century, when the turnout in National Council elections was 80 per cent. One of the reasons for the decline in turnout is that people feel less attached to political parties than they used to be. Hence parties are less able to mobilise voters, says 84-year-old former railway worker. It means that no one can complain about the result. Follow Schaffhausen’s lead? Do the many people who vote in Schaffhausen actually feel engaged or slightly pressured? It is a little bit of both, say the experts. Political scientists Eveline Schwegler and Thomas Milic have found that the proportion of blank ballots – without a yes or a no – is higher in Schaffhausen than in other cantons, suggesting a certain degree of cynicism among voters. Some go to the polls to avoid the fine, and don’t bother to read up on the respective proposals. However, Schwegler and Milic also say that voter turnout in Schaffhausen is still the highest even after you deduct the small percentage of these blank ballots. In other cantons as well as at federal level, there have been various National attraction and Schaffhausen’s calling card – the magnificent, breathtaking Rhine Falls. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 15
Daniel Kübler, a political scientist at the Aarau Centre for Democracy Studies. Low turnout can become a problem if the results are not respected, according to Kübler. “But people in Switzerland are good at accepting voting results, regardless of how close the outcome is or how low the turnout was.” The way that the Swiss political system is structured means that election results, in particular, affect the composition of government less than they would in other countries. This also explains our relatively low election turnouts, says Kübler. If you don’t vote in the election, you can still participate in direct democracy several times a year. And when a popular vote is regarded as important, participation can easily skyrocket. The highest turnout in recent decades was when 79 per cent voted in 1992 on whether Switzerland should join the European Economic Area. Essentially, it is desirable in any democracy for voter turnout to be as high as possible. Mandatory voting has had an impact in Schaffhausen, but it only goes so far, says Kübler. The level of interest in the issues at hand is, in his view, the main factor shown to affect turnout. Political education at school is, therefore, all the more important. “Switzerland does way too little in this regard compared to neighbouring democracies.” We gaze again at the foaming Rhine Falls as our train leaves Schaffhausen – a mass of water as refreshing as the canton’s approach to voting. Voter participation among the Swiss Abroad is quite a bit lower than in the canton of Schaffhausen. Visit page 22 for an analysis of voting behaviour in the “Fifth Switzerland”. “Voting is deeply ingrained in Schaffhausen,” says Christian Ritzmann, who is one of the people responsible for coordinating elections and popular votes in the canton. Photo: SWE SVP member of the Council of States, Hannes Germann, attributes Schaffhausen’s political culture to the canton’s location on the border with Germany – a source of tension during the Second World War. Photo: parlament.ch For SP politician Simon Stocker, mandatory voting is a privilege. “It is unique and belongs to Schaffhausen.” Photo provided The picturesque old quarter of Schaffhausen epitomises the diminutive canton, where policymakers and the public enjoy greater proximity. Politicians are often seen around the town. Photo: Keystone Voting has been mandatory in Schaffhausen for almost 150 years. It was also mandatory in other cantons after the creation of the modern federal Swiss state, but only in Schaffhausen does the obligation still apply. Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 16 Report
Emma, Emma & Emma 5,299 Anyone looking for cooler weather in the Alps this summer would have noticed: the zero-degree line was often well above the highest peaks – on 20 August it was 5,299 metres above sea level, its highest level since records began. Source: MeteoSwiss 61 Amid the hot weather, the results of a major survey of 57,000 people on the level of satisfaction among the Swiss emerged in election year. The general picture: the majority are basically satisfied. 61 out of 100 respondents said they are doing well. Source: gfs Bern 69 So, what are the flies in the ointment for the otherwise content Swiss? 69% of respondents cited climate change as the main issue. Other hotly debated election issues were met with indifference by many: “wokeness” and “gender” are seen as pseudo-issues. Immigration, neutrality and equality are only of moderate interest in most cases. 622 Switzerland leads the world when it comes to popular votes. The people have decided on 622 issues since 1900. If cantonal votes were included, the number would easily be ten times higher. In second place after Switzerland is New Zealand (117 referendums), then Liechtenstein (115) followed by – would you have guessed? – the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean (110). Source: Centre for Democracy Studies, Aarau 1 One last finding from the survey: the vast majority of all respondents wait a month or more before changing their bed linen. What that tells us about happiness in the country is anybody’s guess. FIGURES COMPILED BY MARC LETTAU Imprint “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 49th year of publication and is published six times a year in German, French, English and Spanish in 13 regional editions. It has a total circulation of 431,000, including 253,000 electronic copies. “Swiss Review”’s regional news is published 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. All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30/Abroad: CHF 50). ONLINE EDITION www.revue.ch EDITORS Marc Lettau, Editor-in-Chief (MUL) Stéphane Herzog (SH) Theodora Peter (TP) Susanne Wenger (SWE) Paolo Bezzola (PB, FDFA representative) FDFA OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS The editorial responsibility for the “Notes from the Federal Palace” section is assumed by the Consular Directorate, Innovation and Partnerships, Effinger- strasse 27, 3003 Berne, Switzerland. kdip@eda.admin.ch | www.eda.admin.ch EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nema Bliggenstorfer (NB) TRANSLATION SwissGlobal Language Services AG, Baden LAYOUT Joseph Haas, Zurich PRINT Vogt-Schild Druck AG, Derendingen PUBLISHER The “Swiss Review” is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA). The postal address of the publisher, the editorial office and advertising department is: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne. revue@swisscommunity.org Phone: +41 31 356 61 10 Bank details: CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 / KBBECH22 COPY DEADLINE FOR THIS EDITION 5 September 2023 CHANGES OF ADDRESS Please advise your local embassy or consulate. The editorial team cannot access your address and administrative data. Thank you. 11,637 When parents call to Emma on the playground in a few years, more than one head will turn: Emma was once again the most popular first name for newborns in 2022. The number of Emmas rose to 11,637. Noah tops the list for boys. And yet, the 82,371 births last year mean there is a huge variety of first names in Switzerland. Source: Federal Statistical Office Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 17 Switzerland in figures
STÉPHANE HERZOG According to the environmental organisation Pro Natura, Les Grangettes wetland nature reserve, situated on the old Rhône delta at the eastern end of Lake Geneva, serves as a habitat for a multitude of amphibians and insects. The Association for the Safeguarding of Lake Geneva is a joint French and Swiss NGO that combed 25 different parts of the lake’s shoreline and found Les Grangettes to be infested with plastic. “The most ecologically valuable spot on Lake Geneva also happens to be teeming with the most plastic,” it said. “Swiss plastic consumption is high by international standards, so our country certainly contributes to this increasing environmental problem,” concluded a report by the Federal Council in September 2022. Data models show that Swiss consumption has increased to around one million tonnes a year, which corresponds to 120 kg of plastic per capita. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) does not provide any other comparative European data. Switzerland generates 790,000 tonnes of plastic waste – a veritable mountain – almost half of which Recycling is not the panacea for Switzerland’s plastic addiction Switzerland consumes a million tonnes of plastic every year, a large proportion of which is incinerated. Only a small amount is recycled. Some 14,000 tonnes end up in the environment. Plastic recycling is increasing, but so is plastic consumption. comes from products used for less than one year. What happens to this waste? More than 80 percent of it is incinerated and converted into energy for district heating networks, among other things. A small proportion is recycled or reused (about 15%). Then you have the 14,000 or so tonnes that go missing every year and find their way into the soil, water and air, according to the Federal Council report. Littering alone accounts for 2,700 tonnes of this total. Almost 50 tonnes of macroplastics end up in our soil due to accidental loss during the transportation stage How clean is Switzerland really? Plastic waste on Lake Geneva’s shoreline, in Le Fort nature reserve near Bouveret. (VD). Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2023 / No.5 18 Nature and the environment
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