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
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