Behind the incense clouds, the dark corners of the Catholic Church appear Switzerland’s ‘magic formula’: when a new government preserves the status quo Scratching, fluttering and clucking around town: chickens are becoming a fixture in urban gardens JANUARY 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad
You can enjoy a clear, easily readable version of “Swiss Review” on your tablet or smartphone. The app is free of charge and contains no advertising. You can find the app by searching for “Swiss Review” in your App Store. Read it the way it’s printed. Behind the incense clouds, the dark underbelly of the Catholic Church appears Switzerland’s “magic formula”: elect a new government to preserve the status quo Scratching, fluttering and clucking around town: the chicken is becoming a fixture in people’s gardens JANUARY 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad Our partners: Scan the QR code to make a donation now and play an active part in achieving our shared mission. Together, let’s create a strong future for the more than 800,000 Swiss living around the world. Your support is an essential part of the work of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, SwissCommunity. Every donation helps to maintain the unbreakable link between you and Switzerland, supports our programmes and projects, such as «Swiss Review» or the camps for young Swiss Abroad, and strengthens our community. HELP US KEEP THE LINK ALIVE SWISS REVIEW Grenzenlos informiert Relevante Nachrichten aus der Schweiz © Lloyd Alozie, pexels.com Consular services anywhere, conveniently on your mobile devices www.fdfa.admin.ch Baku
It is horrifying and shameful: hundreds of children and young people, if not more, have suffered sexual abuse from Catholic priests in Switzerland. Sexual assault is inexcusable no matter who does it. However, when perpetrated by those who – in the eyes of children – stand for goodness and safety as the upholders of faith and moral standards, it is even more monstrous. Both for the victims and for the church itself. The Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland being an extreme case in point. It was the church itself that initiated the exploration of its murky past, but that has in no way tempered the torrent of fury being unleashed against it. People are leaving the church in droves. And many secular trustees of church life in Switzerland – the parishes with their democratically elected committees – are asking searching questions of the Catholic clergy. We consider what this shocking state of affairs means for the church in our Focus article – and quote an expert: The Catholic Church is in its worst crisis since the Reformation. Is this catastrophe also relevant to non-Catholics? Most definitely: the decline of religion in Switzerland has been becoming increasingly apparent for decades. Our society is based on Western Christian values and readily invokes these; meanwhile, the country is becoming evermore secular. In 1970, almost 98 per cent of all people in Switzerland adhered to the Catholic, Protestant or Jewish faiths. In 2020, the figure was still over 60 per cent. Now, those who have no interest in the church or religion in the conventional sense already form the biggest “community of faith”. The files from the Catholic Church’s archives that are now seeing the light of day are accelerating this change. Some things change more quickly than others. Look at how Switzerland elects its national government: it starts with animated debate as to whether the secret, unwritten law about the representation of the parties in the government – the so-called “magic formula” – should be adjusted. Then, everything stays the same. The “magic formula” could also be called a “static formula”. But that doesn’t make it bad: many Swiss approve of the reliably boring nature of politics in Switzerland. They think it’s preferable to the upheaval that comes with populist movements. On that note, Switzerland has elected a new government for the next four years – see page 18. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Report documenting a huge number of sexual assaults rocks the Catholic Church 8 News 9 Report A growing number of Swiss households are adopting chickens as pets 12 Elections Business as usual regarding the composition of the national government 14 Society A crack epidemic is raging through Switzerland, with Geneva hardest hit News from your region 17 Switzerland in figures People are moving home less; it’s not hard to see why 18 Politics Sharply contrasting ideas on the future of pension provision 20 Nature and the environment New nuclear power plants are currently not an option – but still a perennial issue 24 Literature In 1941, author Rudolf Kuhn described the aftermath of an atomic bomb 25 Notes from the Federal Palace 28 SwissCommunity news You can now read the latest letters from our readers at: www.revue.ch Priests: from protectors to abusers Cover photo: Incense is burned during worship in the church of a Swiss monastery. Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 3 Editorial Contents
4 SUSANNE WENGER A research team from the University of Zurich led by historians Monika Dommann and Marietta Meier spent one year combing through church archives in all Switzerland’s language regions. The researchers viewed tens of thousands of pages of previously confidential records and conducted many interviews. The conclusions of the pilot study published in September were devastating. Evidence was uncovered of a broad spectrum of cases of abuse ranging from problematic boundary violations to severe, systematic abuse over a period of years. The study uncovered 1,002 cases of abuse, 510 accused and 921 abused persons dating from the mid-20th century onwards. Three-quarters of the victims were minors and slightly over half of them were male. The accused looked the other way, played down or covered up what was happening. There were many instances of priests who had been accused or found guilty simply being transferred (see box). This enabled the perpetrators to reoffend. The church prioritised its own interests over protecting its members, argue the researchers. The research team consider the cases covered in the report as the tip of the iceberg, as there are still many records under lock and key, for example at the Apostolic Nunciature (the diplomatic representation of the Vatican in Switzerland). The study was commissioned in 2021 by Catholic Church bodies in Switzerland, including the Swiss Bishops’ Conference and the Central Conference of the Roman Catholic Church, a type of umbrella association of cantonal churches under public law. The Swiss investigation The church protected the perpetrators, not the victims An academic study has for the first time established the facts relating to sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland over the past 70 years. The rank and file are up in arms. Church leaders have come under pressure, and the country’s largest official church is in crisis. were almost all men, mainly priests working as ministers or curates, such as vicars or chaplains, in parishes. According to the researchers, the most conducive situation to an attack was “social spaces with specific power constellations”: pastoral work, serving as altar boys, religious instruction, youth associations, Catholic homes and boarding schools. Transferred instead of suspended Sexual abuse has never been the exclusive preserve of the Catholic Church and clergy are not generally speaking under suspicion. Nonetheless, the 136-page report reveals how irresponsibly the church handled the abuse. Canon law, which has long classed sexual abuse of minors as a serious criminal offence, was largely bypassed. Church officials instead Photo Keystone Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 Focus
What the victims went through Vreni Peterer, who is now 62, was sexually abused by a village priest in the canton of St. Gallen in the early 1970s when she was ten. To encourage others to come forward, she recently spoke out about her experiences after having kept quiet for decades. The priest had repeatedly touched girls inappropriately during religion classes. One day, he insisted on driving Peterer home. But instead of taking her home, he took Peterer to the edge of the forest and raped her. She was then told off by her mother for being late back from school. Looking back, Peterer says there is no way she would have said something at the time. Her abuser threatened that she would go to hell. In any case, the priest was beyond reproach as an authority figure. Peterer experienced recurring physical and psychological problems in adulthood, for which she required therapy. It wasn’t until 2018 that she was able to bring herself to contact the specialist committee established by the Diocese of St. Gallen in 2002 and report the priest. He had since died. Peterer learned from the records that this priest had history in another parish. He had even received a suspended custodial sentence from a secular court for sexual misconduct with and in the presence of children. Despite that, he was still appointed as priest to Vreni Peterer’s parish. In other words, her suffering could have been avoided. Peterer now presides over an association for people who suffered abuse within the church. She did not leave the church. Peterer says she is not against the church, instead she opposes a church where there is abuse. (SWE) 5 happened late by international standards, and its findings have shaken the church. Preliminary investigation of bishops Church expert Daniel Kosch argues in the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” that the real scandal is how an institution with the role of a moral authority can be so dismissive of those who have suffered abuse while in its care. He called it the worst crisis in the Catholic Church in Switzerland since the Reformation. In response, the church has taken a harder line with sexual abuse since the turn of the millennium. In 2002, the Bishops’ Conference issued guidelines. In addition, all six dioceses must now have a prevention strategy and a specialist committee for the abused. Victims of attacks falling under the statute of limitations are receiving payments from a compensation fund set up in 2016. In its response to the study, the Bishops’ Conference recognised “the suffering of those who were abused and the culpability of the church”. The President of the Bishops’ Conference, Basel Bishop Felix Gmür, announced additional measures including contact points separate from the church. The Bishop of St. Gallen, Markus Büchel, apologised – he was tainted through a serious case of abuse in his diocese, described in the study, that continued until fairly recently. However, the public were not convinced. Instead, the high-ranking clerics found themselves under investigation, as reported by the media. The Pope ordered a canonical investigation in the summer into four acting members of the nine-person Bishops’ Conference, among others. Bishop Joseph Bonnemain appointed head of investigation The abbot of Saint Maurice monastery in Valais – a member of the Bishops’ Conference as head of a territorial abbey – is himself accused of having sexually molested a youth. He initially took leave of absence from his position. Three bishops are alleged not to have acted as they were supposed to in response to cases of abuse. While they admitted some errors, they also rejected other allegations. Rome appointed Joseph Bonnemain, bishop of Chur since 2021, to lead the preliminary investigation. He takes a firm line against abuse in his own diocese. Nonetheless, critics question whether he will really move The venerable Saint Maurice monastery (VS): several children and adolescents are said to have been sexually assaulted here. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1
Lucerne will withhold the second half of the annual payment to the bishopric in autumn 2024. A special committee of the Synod will evaluate the measures taken. “A thunderbolt has hit the Catholic Church,” commented information portal kath.ch. “I report to the Pope.” The bishop of Basel, seen as a source of hope, was alienated by the cantonal synod’s confrontational stance. Some of the demands had already been implemented, he argued; others had been raised in Rome by the Swiss bishops. There was a lot he could not do under his own authority: “I report to the Pope and no one else,” Gmür told the synod. Other cantonal churches, although in agreement with Lucerne’s position, refrained from imposing their own sanctions. There is widespread agreement that the abuse saga stems from deeper problems within the Catholic Church, with regard not only to its hierarchical structures, but also to its outlook and opinions. The Central Conference of the Roman Catholic Church argues for “the abandonment of rigid and homophobic sexual morality” as well as “the unconditional acceptance of church staff living in partnerships”. The Zurich researchers also raise the question in their study as to whether “characteristics specific to Catholicism” may have facilitated the sexual abuse: sexual morality, celibacy, gender roles within the church, and its ambivalent stance regarding homosexuality. The academics will look at these – and other aspects – in greater depth. More in-depth research will ensue from the pilot study. The church has committed to that until 2026. The study is available via the following link (in German): revue.link/kirche Chur Bishop Joseph Bonnemain had to investigate alleged cover-ups involving fellow bishops. Rome appointed him to the task. Photo: Keystone against fellow bishops on his own. As a result, Bonnemain was assigned an expert in criminal law and a cantonal judge to support the investigation. The bishop of Chur intended to deliver his report by the end of 2023 (after this edition of “Swiss Review” goes to press). Depending on the outcome, the papal authority may initiate disciplinary measures or open proceedings under ecclesiastical criminal law. Meanwhile, among the rank and file the impression has grown that, despite assertions to the contrary, the bishops will not go far enough to resolve the problem. The Central Conference of the Roman Catholic Church issued a number of demands. These are designed, inter alia, to establish a separation of powers in canon law. That would mean having a nationwide tribunal involving laypersons and church figures. Unrest among the faithful Catholic parishes all over the country felt the fallout from the report as people left in droves. This church exodus has admittedly been an issue for some time, however, and it affects both the Catholic and the Protestant churches, Switzerland’s largest and second largest faith groups, respectively. Thousands of people are leaving both churches every year. In the canton of Lucerne, a Catholic heartland, the cantonal church was so alarmed that it resorted to open rebellion. In September, 14 church councils decided to block payments of their church taxes to their Basel diocese (see interview). In November, the synod, the parliament of the Lucerne Cantonal Catholic Church, came out in favour of the rebels. It paid an advance on the condition that the bishop of Basel, Felix Gmür, commit to a more effective approach to combat abuse. Otherwise, The church pews – here in St. Gallen – have been slowly emptying for years. Many people are leaving the Roman Catholic Church. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 6 Focus
vow of celibacy for the priesthood also needs to go. Anyone who is happy to remain celibate should be free to do so. But it can no longer be compulsory. Sexuality is a gift from God. Besides, mandatory celibacy creates a risk factor for abuse. Studies indicate that it can attract people with problematic traits, paedophile tendencies for example. You are calling for Swiss bishops to commit to reforms. They argue it is a matter for Rome. That sounds like an excuse to me. Rome is ponderous and completely detached from the reality of life in Switzerland. Swiss bishops are talking the talk without walking the walk. We need to be brave and find a way to at least implement some reforms in Switzerland, even if that risks incurring disapproval from the Vatican. Time is not on our side. In my view, time is running out for the Catholic Church. What is your personal relationship to the Catholic Church today? I grew up in the Church and it’s in my heart. I haven’t entirely given up hope that it can change. That’s why I’m investing time and energy to set things in motion. It’s heartening that our small parish in Adligenswil has made its presence felt at such a high level. People are seeing that something is happening. Time will tell whether it’s enough to restore the church’s credibility. Monika Koller Schinca has been president of Adligenswil parish near Lucerne since 2021. The 50-year-old has a coaching business. She is married with three children. Monika Koller Schinca calls for “a full investigation, and drastic measures across the board”, arguing that people are losing confidence in the Catholic Church. Photo: provided “Be brave and implement reforms” Following the disclosure of more than one thousand cases of abuse in the Catholic Church, the parish of Adligenswil in the canton of Lucerne has suspended payments to the diocese. There needs to be fundamental change, says parish president Monika Koller Schinca, a voice from the rank and file. We are shocked by the high number of documented cases of abuse. We feel solidarity with all the abused. There were so many instances where church officials covered up what had happened. We find that shameful. The final straw was the unsatisfactory response of the bishops to the findings of the study. Now is the time for action and not just words: we demand a full investigation, and drastic measures across the board. People are losing faith in the Catholic Church. They are leaving us in droves. That’s why you are taking a stand, although the abuse has been known about for a long time now? Yes, the rank and file should take a stand and show they mean business. That’s why we are making payment contingent on our demands being met. The church is still an important part of the community in the villages of our region. Many people are involved in the church and want to contribute to it. After the study was published, we received more notifications of withdrawal from the church than usual. What hit me hardest was that this time we also saw older people leaving, people from the generation of regular churchgoers. Something has gone seriously wrong. Besides revisiting the response to the abuse, we also need reforms and cultural change. We want to set the wheels in motion and shake up the system. What needs to change? One of the most important things is equal rights for women. In the canton of Lucerne, 60 per cent of church employees and 75 per cent of volunteers are female. Women do a lot for our church; however, the higher up the ranks you go, the more men you find. Women are still ineligible for ordination, either as priests or deacons. The INTERVIEW: SUSANNE WENGER “Swiss Review”: You are church council president in Adligenswil. What does that entail? Monika Koller Schinca: The Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland is the only one in the world with two pillars: one is pastoral with bishoprics and parishes, and then there is the secular pillar under state church law with the cantonal churches and congregations. My position is on the secular side. Our democratically elected church council is responsible for finances, buildings and recruiting, while the pastoral side is in charge of the church’s teachings. We work closely together. Your parish began the resistance movement by withholding payment to the diocese, which the cantonal church parliament subsequently also threatened to do (see main article). What made you take this unusual step? Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 7
Switzerland significantly reduces its protection for wolves The Federal Council has approved the preventive shooting of wolves with effect from 1 December 2023. Entire packs can also be shot in justified cases. This marks a significant downgrade in wolf protection. Previously, wolves could only be shot if they had caused damage or attacked farm animals. There are currently 32 wolf packs living in Switzerland. According to Environment Minister Albert Rösti, a minimum of 12 packs nationwide are to be left untouched. That is not enough to ensure the species’ survival. Three years ago, Switzerland’s chief wildlife officer, Reinhard Schnidrig, told “Swiss Review”: “There is enough space in the Swiss Alps and the Jura mountains for about 60 wolf packs, or 300 animals. That is the upper limit of what is ecologically tolerable. At the lower end of the scale, 20 or so packs are necessary for the wolf to remain in Switzerland for generations.” This watering down of wolf protection is thus more political than ecological. By the way, did voters not come out strongly in favour of protecting the wolf three years ago? – Read the interview: revue.link/ wolves. (MUL) Ukrainian refugees can stay longer Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have sought refuge in Switzerland since the Russians invaded. Switzerland has granted them Protection Status ‘S’. That enables rapid admission on a temporary basis without undergoing the asylum process. The Federal Council has now decided to extend Status ‘S’ for Ukrainians refugees, until at least 4 March 2025. The federal government does not anticipate a rapid end to the conflict. Switzerland is now in line with the EU, which had already approved this extension. (MUL) Antisemitic attacks on the rise The number of antisemitic incidents in Switzerland has increased by about a quarter since the terror attack by Hamas against Israel and the Israeli response. The president of the Federal Commission against Racism, Martine Brunschwig Graf, says that what is striking is not only the number of incidents but their intensity. However, she has also observed a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment. The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities strongly denounced the trend in November and called on the Federal Council to be clearer in its condemnation of antisemitism. (MUL) Qualified applause for the Swiss football team The Swiss national football team will again take part in a major tournament next year. The Swiss qualified for the summer 2024 European Championship in Germany. The team, managed by Murat Yakin, initially saw themselves as favourites in a qualifying group consisting of Andorra, Belarus, Israel, Kosovo and Romania. But it didn’t really turn out that way. (MUL) Simon Ammann How many times has Swiss ski jumping champion Simon Amman taken off during his career, having started at the age of 11? About 4,000 jumps, with an average duration of four seconds. That works out at slightly over four hours floating between earth and sky. Given that ski jumpers describe these moments as timeless, that is a huge total. The time spent in the air stays in the mind. And that is 80 percent of the sport’s appeal. The indescribable joy of ski-powered flying at more than 100 km/h - welcome to the sporting world of Simon Amman, the ski jumper from Unterwasser in the canton of St Gallen, who keeps jumping despite regular media hints about his pending retirement. A photo from 2002 shows Amman celebrating two gold medals from the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. His tousled hair sticks up over a pair of oval glasses. He is wearing a chestnut brown checked shirt. The Americans think he looks like Harry Potter. To the Swiss, he is the flying bird from Toggenburg. This son of a farmer is known as Simon, or Simi to his friends. Amman is known for his compact position during take-off and his capacity to keep his form in flight. He also lands with remarkable precision. These qualities have made Simi a global star: four-time Olympic champion, double gold medallist. At the same time, he has known failure as well, having experienced a marked dip in form in 2015. However, from then on Simon has rediscovered his edge, having decided to lead with his right foot on landing. A minor revolution. In March 2023, Simi, aged 41, was the veteran and top Swiss performer at the world championships in Planica, Slovenia. And he will fly again. STÉPHANE HERZOG Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 8 Top pick News
DENISE LACHAT Switzerland’s most popular pet is – the fish. Not the cat, as most people tend to assume; in terms of numbers, the fish takes top spot, as the animal welfare organisation Schweizer Tierschutz (STS) is well aware. The exact number of fish swimming around the country’s private aquariums is unknown. But it must be quite high. After all the cat, Switzerland’s number two pet, will soon number two million. The dog comes in at number three on half a million. Need for nature However, another animal is gaining ground in the popularity stakes. And it isn’t the usual cuddly furball either (although nor is the fish, to be fair). Enter the chicken. That’s right – the Swiss now like to keep chickens: an estimated 70,000 private households have chickens as pets and their popularity is growing. “More and more people want chickens. That may well have something to do with the Covid pandemic,” says Sarah Camenisch, spokesperson of the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). No-one knows exactly why chickens are in such high demand; however, Camenisch suspects it has something to do with a growing yearning for nature. General Covid surveys tell us that the Swiss felt increasingly drawn to nature during the pandemic. Shops, Switzerland’s latest pet craze sees demand for chickens soar The evolution of chickens from farm animal to pet is gaining momentum. Tens of thousands of private gardens now have chicken coops. This has prompted a response from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office. restaurants, schools, gyms and ski areas were all closed. So, people suddenly had time for walks in nature, baking bread and buying fresh vegetables straight from the farm instead. Many people also acquired dogs and cats during the pandemic to combat the loneliness of working and studying from home. Another factor behind the chicken’s evolution from farm to domestic animal, writes Samuel Furrer, zoologist and head of the STS wild animals department, is that consumers increasingly want to know the origin of their food and how it is produced. What better way to know than keeping your own animal? “Some people slaughter and eat their chickens,” Photo: iStockphoto Higher, farther, faster, more beautiful? In search of somewhat unconventional Swissrecords. This edition: Switzerland’s latest “in” domestic animal Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 9 Report
“The key is to look after the animals’ interests – it’s the same whether you keep blue whales, honeybees or chickens.” Bernd Schildger, former zoo director in Berne tions, injuries or illnesses affecting their ability to lay eggs, worms, fleas, mites and other parasites. In a nutshell: think it through before buying chickens. They must be registered with the relevant cantonal offices so immediate remedial measures can be taken in the event of diseases such as bird flu or Newcastle disease. Chickens may have to stay cooped up to prevent the spread of disease. says Furrer. However, in most cases people make do with the eggs. Especially those who name their feathered friends and like to hold them affectionately; after all, chickens can be cute. Think, for example, of the Pekin Bantam. Yes to animal welfare, no to animal diseases However, chickens shouldn’t be held to the chest or carried around. “They tend not to like that,” says Sarah Camenisch, stressing that chickens are more for watching than for petting. There are also other things people should know about when keeping chickens, so the FSVO in conjunction with the STS launched a nationwide campaign in spring 2023 with two objectives: to uphold animal welfare and to prevent the spread of animal diseases. The first thing to consider You also need a closed aviary as protection against foxes and martens, and as an alternative to the coop, so the animals don’t have to be kept locked up in the coop if there is an outbreak of disease such as bird flu. This infrastructure does not come cheap, as Samuel Furrer from STS points out. Three chickens – depending on the owner’s DIY skills – can cost 1,500 to 4,000 Swiss francs, with annual feeding costs of about 400 francs on top of that. Chickens are not to be fed kitchen leftovers, but should be given pellets or corn middlings. As with any pet, chickens also need to visit the vet occasionally. According to the Swiss Veterinary Society, there are veterinary clinics that specialise in treating domestic animals like birds or rabbits. Chickens are to them what dogs and cats are to a standard veterinary practice. The vet can treat respiratory infecThe government is taking an interest in domestic chickens: people who keep chickens at home must register them with the veterinary authorities as a protective measure against the spread of disease. Photo: Keystone The chicken is not a cuddly creature. But they are comfortable around people. Photo: Keystone is whether you have enough space. Ideally, three chickens should have 50 square metres of green area for scratching, pecking and dustbathing. They are also social animals and must not be kept in isolation. So, you need at least two or ideally three. The lockable coop should be at least two square metres for three chickens. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 10 Report
Adopt a chicken The chicken as a domestic pet still pales into insignificance next to its farmyard counterparts, of which there were more than 13 million in Switzerland in 2022; about four percent more than in the previous year. At the same time, a growing number of ‘retired’ laying hens can be found pecking and scratching around people’s gardens, having been adopted. Laying hens for fattening are of no commercial use during the four to six weeks spent moulting, as they do not lay eggs during that time. This leads to them being culled after about a year, whereas their normal lifespan can easily last four to six years. After moulting, hens return to laying an egg a day, as Samuel Furrer stresses. He approves of such initiatives as “Adopte une cocotte” (a chicken adoption programme in French-speaking Switzerland) or a similar programme called “Rettet das Huhn”. “That way the chickens can enjoy their autumn years.” However, they would have to adapt to their new environment, as they come from a factory farming background of being fattened with high-energy feed. Animal awareness Is the chicken currently Switzerland’s ‘in’ pet? “We can’t really say, as we don’t have the comparative figures,” says Furrer. Nonetheless, there does seem to be something of a craze for the animal. Moreover, such outpourings of affection are not restricted to chickens. Social media abounds with heartwarming stories of cute mini pigs, although they don’t belong in their owner’s bed any more than the chicken. Veterinarian Bernd Schildger, former director of Dählhölzli Animal Park in Berne, which also includes Bern Bear Park, considers this a fundamental point. Schildger says: “The key is to look after the animals’ interests. They aren’t there just to please people – it’s the same whether you keep blue whales, honeybees or chickens.” Schildger passionately supports the idea of people keeping animals, in principle. He believes people have grown estranged from nature and animals and have banned them from their environment and consciousness. “Why are slaughterhouses surrounded by barbed wire?” he asks. In other words: what people don’t see leaves them cold. If bringing animals into households would make people more aware of them, that would be better for the animals. Chickens sometimes live in the worst conditions for the sake of commerce, he says, therefore “private owners are doing something good”. Of course, hens are more than just Chickens renew their plumage after a year and stop laying eggs, making them commercially unviable. People often adopt these unproductive chickens. Photo: iStock Why take a chicken as a pet? Mainly for the eggs, hardly ever for the meat. Photo: iStock “More and more people want chickens. That may well have something to do with the Covid pandemic.” Sarah Camenisch, FSVO spokesperson egg providers. They have their own charm and personality. These amusing animals, who watch us alertly with tilted head and make us smile, are also communicative and thus rather noisy. That’s why it is advisable to talk to the neighbours before getting one, says FSVO representative Camenisch. Given that Swiss people have been known to go to court over church or cow bells, she makes a fair point. Still, chickens seem to be well-liked, adding a touch of rural Switzerland to all those urban gardens. There is no flip side either, unlike cats with their penchant for terrorising birds. Animal welfare advocate Samuel Furrer also has an answer for those who would blame the cats: put collars with bells on them, and having more hedges and shrubs in private gardens would also provide a safe place for birds. Closeness to nature seems again to be the way forward. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 11
THEODORA PETER The general elections to the Federal Council on 13 December 2023 were all about continuity. A parliamentary majority voted to preserve the balance of power. That means the Federal Council will, for the next four years, comprise two members each from the SVP, SP and FDP plus one member from the Centre (page 13). The ‘magic formula’ The unwritten law known as the ‘magic formula’ stipulates a coalition government where the four main parties are represented according to their share of the vote. The election victory of the SVP and increased share of the vote for the SP cemented their claim to power. The two biggest parties won 27.9 per cent (SVP) and 18.3 per cent (SP) of the vote. However, the entitlement of the third-placed FDP to its two seats is rather more tenuous: it accounted for 14.3 per cent of the vote, a mere whisker ahead of the Centre party (14.1 per cent). This obviously raises the question as to why the FDP has two seats, while the Centre ‘only’ has one despite winning practically the same number of votes. ‘Respect for the institutions’ Nonetheless, the Centre party decided not to demand a second seat in December at the expense of the FDP. The reason given was out of ‘respect for the institutions’. They did not want to remove any serving federal councillors from office, as Centre President Gerhard Pfister had made clear at the outset. The FDP government members, Ignazio Cassis and Karin Keller-Sutter, stood for re-election. The SVP also argued in favour of stability during times of crisis – and naturally was keen not to weaken the FDP as its ally in the right-of-centre camp. Attempt by the Greens fails However, the Greens as the fifthplaced party did go for one of the two FDP seats. “A government is stable and strong when it represents the maximum possible number of voters,” Parliament opts for status quo in the Federal Council The ‘magic formula’ for apportioning the seats on the Federal Council remains intact: the four biggest parties divide up the seven seats among themselves. However, unease is growing about the ‘power cartel’. argued faction leader Aline Trede. The Greens represent just under 10 per cent of voters. “That puts us closer arithmetically to one Federal Council seat than the FDP to two seats with its 14 per cent.” The smaller Green Liberals (GLP, 7.6 per cent) argued that the will of the voters was not adequately represented in the current constellation. “A quarter of the voters are not represented in the Federal Council,” pointed out GLP faction leader Corina Gredig. Therefore, they felt they had a case to challenge for the second FDP seat. However, Green candidate Gerhard Andrey ultimately fell well short as both FDP government members kept their seats with a comfortable majority. This was also due to the SP not wanting to break with tradition: the ‘magic formula’. That A beaming smile from the new Federal Councillor: Beat Jans (SP) is replacing the departing Alain Berset on the Federal Council. In Jans, the canton of Basel-Stadt returns to the national government following a 50-year hiatus. Photo Keystone Smaller parties remain outside the Federal Council. A quarter of voters are not represented in the government. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 12 Politics
was because the left-wing party relied on the right-wing camp’s support on 13 December to retain the seat of departing SP minister Alain Berset. This prompted the Greens to accuse them of selling out to the ‘power cartel’. The voting procedure also placed the social democrats in something of a dilemma. The vacant SP seat was the last item on the agenda – i.e. after the re-election of the six government members (the seventh one having opted not to stand). The SP was mindful that it could be penalised by the SVP and FDP if it threw its weight behind the Green candidate. The strategy worked as the parliament selected one of the two official SP candidates to succeed Alain Berset. A new face on the Federal Council The successful candidate was the almost 60-year-old president of Basel-Stadt cantonal government and former national councillor, Beat Jans. The SP member campaigned as a builder of bridges and promised to keep his door open when in office. Jans is Basel-Stadt’s first federal councillor in over 50 years. Through his election, the urban centres are once again prominent in the federal government. The departure of Alain Berset (Fribourg) also marks the end of French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino’s majority in the Federal Council: four of the seven government members are once again from the the Swiss Abroad, Rossi gave his assurance that he wanted to build on what has been achieved so far. Moreover, he also reiterated that “electronic voting is an important instrument to many Swiss Abroad for political codetermination”. So, it was right that those voters who live abroad are made a priority. SP Elisabeth Baume-Schneider Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) SP Beat Jans Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) The centre Viola Amherd Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) FDP Karin Keller-Sutter Federal Department of Finance (FDF) FDP Ignazio Cassis Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) SVP Albert Rösti Fed. Dep. of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) SVP Guy Parmelin Fed. Dep. of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) German-speaking areas, including Viola Amherd (Centre) from Valais, the federal president in 2024. The parliament also elected a new federal chancellor to act as chief of staff and coordinate government business. Walter Thurnherr of the Centre party has stepped down (see Review 6/2023 for profile) to be succeeded by his deputy, Viktor Rossi of the Green Liberals. This is the first time a member of a non-governing party has filled the hot seat. As head of the Federal Chancellery, Rossi will also be responsible for advancing the cause of e-voting. In a pre-election survey by the Organisation of A qualified slide to the right The right-wing conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP) emerged as the resounding winner in the National Council following the federal elections of autumn 2023 (see “Swiss Review” 6/2023). However, in the Council of States, the second chamber, the SVP achieved a more modest result. Despite having been in a promising position, their candidates fell short in several cantons at the second vote, particularly in the canton of Zurich. The FDP also performed well below its own expectations. By contrast, the Centre built on its leading position in the Council of States. To the left, the SP consolidated its representation, while the Greens again lost ground. The Green Liberals (GLP) returned to the Council of States. The breakdown of the 46 seats in the Council of States is as follows – compared to the 2019 elections: Centre 15 seats (+2 seats), FDP 11 (-1), SP 9 (-), SVP 6 (-), Greens 3 (-2), GLP 1 (+1), MCG 1 (+1). Overall, the Council of States will remain a bastion of conservatism. At the same time, the centre will have greater clout than hitherto. (TP) Overview of all the election results to the National Council and Council of States: www.wahlen.admin.ch/en/ch/ Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 13
STÉPHANE HERZOG Thirty years after the closure of Platzspitz and Letten, where Zurich’s heroin addicts used to indulge their habit in the open, hard drug users have reemerged in public view. “You can see them in the large cities, but also in Vevey, Biel, Solothurn, Brugg and even Chur,” observes Frank Zobel, deputy director at Addiction Switzerland. There is a park in the Grisons capital where drug users congregate, as they do in the Bäckeranlage park in central Zurich. Geneva’s crack addicts normally gravitate to the area around Cornavin station. This time cocaine is driving consumption. The white powder is flooding European cities and supplanting heroin. The drug is cheap, with a purity sometimes exceeding 70 percent. “We’ve never seen this before,” comments Zobel, author of a report on the crack wave engulfing Geneva. The cocaine-based product is smoked with a glass pipe and gives a powerful high. So, it isn’t long before the addict is ready for the next hit. Although the drug has been consumed in Switzerland for years, its availability has exploded. “Supply has doubled within a year, which has created demand,” concludes Nicolas Dietrich, cantonal commissioner for addiction-related issues in Fribourg. Ready-made crack The explosion in crack consumption is particularly high in Geneva, where it is sold ready for consumption by dealers of African origin coming from France. The “modous”, as small-scale suppliers are known in Wolof, a west African language, have established a market based on selling small quantities at cheap prices. Crack users once bought cocaine in the street and bicarbonate of soda at Migros, before cooking the drug at home. The discounted crack has increased the pace of consumption. Every day, dozens of smokers gather around Quai 9, a secure centre for addicts in Geneva beside Cornavin station. “One third are from Geneva, one third from France and one third are migrants,” estimates Camille Robert, co-director of local addiction study group Groupement romand d’étude des addictions. In June, Première ligne, the association in charge of Quai 9, closed its doors for a week due to the aggressive behaviour of crack users and brawls breaking out in front of the centre. “Colleagues were being caught up in disputes on the premises,” says Thomas Herquel, director of the association. Since then, the smoking room has been out of bounds to crack users, except for those who come to sleep in one of the 12 camp beds at Quai 9. This came as a shock, acknowledges Pascal Dupont, manager of Entracte, a daycare centre for drug addicts in Geneva. Switzerland’s crack epidemic causes shock Since 2022, Switzerland has experienced a flood of concentrated and cheap cocaine. Part of this product is sold as crack. People can be seen openly taking drugs in several cantons. Geneva is the hardest hit. This epidemic is shaking the foundations of the support structures. “Crack is like a series of explosions going off in quick succession. The users tend to be vulnerable and prone to depression, so it’s all about the here and now; they have no perspective of time,” comments Gérald Thévoz, psychosocial counsellor and addiction expert. Users stop eating, drinking and even sleeping. “The drugs basically detach people from their social network,” says Thévoz. Their condition shocks people and they lose touch with their friends and acquaintances. “My initial aim is for the users who visit Entracte to come back,” states Pascal Dupont. He has seen some of his regulars cut their ties with the centre. Sometimes it takes a hospital visit before they start to think about getting off the drugs. Medicine in Fribourg To combat the crisis, the cantonal government of Geneva has approved a programme costing six million Swiss francs, mainly to finance an enhanced police presence. Quai 9 will be expanded and have more staff. Users will have more night shelters to choose from. The idea is to offer addicts, some of whom receive no social welfare, places where they can have a break. Some of these people have no access to social welfare, such as users from France or the homeless in Geneva, who include those from a migration background. Elsewhere in Switzerland, crack is usually cooked by the user and sometimes a portion of it is sold on. “You can find cocaine anywhere,” comments Frank Zobel. “The drug scenes vary in line with social and geographic factors,” adds Nicolas Cloux, Small amounts ready for consumption and sold at discount prices have made demand for crack soar in Geneva. Photo: Nils Ackermann, Lundi13 Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 14 Society
look bad, but we also need to consider the right medical and psychosocial approach to help these persons,” emphasises Gérald Thévoz referring to a heroin-based medical treatment. The authorities in Zurich, Berne and Lausanne are also looking into the regulated sale of cocaine. manager of the foundation that supports drug addicts in Tremplin, Fribourg. Psychotropic drug users take more medicine there than elsewhere. “If ready-made crack comes here, we will apply the lessons learned in Geneva,” remarks Nicolas Dietrich, Fribourg commissioner for addictions. The canton has already witnessed the early stages of the drug and has set up a dedicated working group in response. Cocaine: a reaction to living on the edge? The popularity of crack in Switzerland may be partly due to precarious circumstances. “Switzerland has reached a nadir in the deterioration of its social and economic conditions,” believes Hervé Durgnat, member of a cantonal commission of addiction experts in the canton of Vaud. Experts were surprised that crack was being used in Switzerland’s streets. “We found it incongruous that people would consume crack so openly in a rich country like Switzerland,” says Durgnat. Some of the people are already familiar with the drug or are on replacement medication and susceptible to relapse. “We take in people who may be close to retirement, are often ill and sometimes live in hotel accommodation. What prospects have they got?” asks Pascal Dupont rhetorically. In Geneva, the Quai 9 social workers bring bottles of water and food to the exhausted users taken in from the street. Emergency shelters offer respite and there are places that will take in crack users regardless of their condition, but the usual thresholds – minimum stay for example – are sometimes too high for these unstable people. “Policy-makers don’t want to make the situation Overt addiction: crack addicts are becoming conspicuous, especially in the cities. A photo from Geneva. Photo: Nils Ackermann, Lundi13 Thomas Herquel of Première ligne in his clinical-looking premises, Quai 9 in Geneva. Addicts sometimes behave aggressively, says Herquel. Photo: Nils Ackermann, Lundi13 “We found it incongruous that people would consume crack so openly in a rich country like Switzerland.” Hervé Durgnat, addiction expert in the canton of Vaud Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 15
BEAT MAZENAUER Switzerland is not the world, as Charles Linsmayer may have thought to himself as he looked over his book collection and formed a plan to create a reading book of literature from all over the world. And now it’s here: an attractive, thick volume containing (analogously to its Swiss counterpart) 135 texts all by different authors and written between 1870 and 2020. Linsmayer starts off with a powerful piece attesting to the passionate immediacy of literature: “Discovering Books” by Richard Wright, an extract from “Black Boy”, written in 1945. Wright recounts his first visits to a library. He brings to life his experiences of having to resort to trickery to take out books on loan as a coloured boy and how he had to put up with suspicious looks as he sought to satisfy his thirst for literature. “It was so strange, as if I had discovered a new world! Once I had finished the book and closed it, I realised I had discovered something that I now couldn’t do without,” and that he carried around with him “like a criminal”. Wright’s later work shows that he overcame all the obstacles and ended up being a writer. An anthology like “19/21 Synchron global” is not (necessarily) made to be read cover to cover. It is more suited to brief, funny, whimsical, random literary experiences. From Richard Wright’s opener, the reader could, for example, go straight to Abdulrazak Gurnah’s egregious debate among colonialists, who see the native Africans as wild animals at best. A suitable riposte to that could be Toni Morrison and her text on home and migration. Then there are a number of options for the next stop, such as the childish plot to kill Hitler by Carson McCullers, or Camus’ fond memory of a youth in a Moorish café, or even Nelly Sachs’ “Schwer zu sagen, wie man lebt im masslosen Leiden“ [It’s hard to say how to live through perpetual suffering]. Wright’s bibliographical experience also contains a touch of Hesse as the guardian of the “intellectual world”, especially important during times of need. “19/21 Synchron global” offers the reader a whole host of options to chart their own course through the names, themes and stories in the book. The publisher has established a broad platform on which to base the journey: stretching from Akhmatova to Tsvetaeva (in German: Zwetajewa) alphabetically – there is a considerable timespan between the two contemporaries – from Victor Hugo (*1802) to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (*1977). The stories start with Richard Wright and end with David Malouf, with a cultural world tour in between. Moreover, Linsmayer does not necessarily select the most prominent texts; instead, he prefers pieces that fit smoothly with his thematic structure. The 20 chapters cover all the basic topics from birth to death, from the seriousness of war to cheeky satire, with motifs including magic, nature and the animal world. Linsmayer’s intent is neither to create a new canon nor to achieve completeness. The collection contains literary testimonies that he considers important. His own perspective is integral to that, as he writes in the epilogue, as a publisher faced with the wealth of “world literature” is “ultimately reliant on their own literary experiences and subjective perception”. The brief biographies of the authors in the appendix are as personal as they are pointed, each illustrated with a drawing by Claudio Fedrigo. “19/21 Synchron global” would make a good small literary compendium. However, the essence of the book lies in its many literary “amusebouches” in the form of extracts from his favourite works. Richard Wright’s “Black Boy” is definitely worth (re)reading to close the circle. Find out more about literature in “Swiss Review” at: revue.link/books Charles Linsmayer has been responsible for the literature section of “Swiss Review” for years. It is very popular among many of our readers (see page 24 of this edition). The editorial team is holding a draw for three copies of Linsmayer’s latest work. To take part in the draw, send an email with the subject line “Synchron” to revue@swisscommunity.org. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the draw. (MUL) A global coordinate grid One-and-a-half years ago, Charles Linsmayer published the lavish reader “20/21 Synchron”, showcasing literary texts from Switzerland. Now he has brought out a global version: “19/21 Synchron global”. Charles Linsmayer (publisher): “19/21 Synchron global. Ein weltliterarisches Lesebuch von 1870 bis 2020.” Th. Gut Verlag, Zurich, 2024, 656 pages, ca. CHF 40. Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1 16 Culture
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