SwissCommunity Read it instead of waiting. Getting impatient waiting for your printed copy of “Swiss Review” to arrive? Pick up the magazine 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. 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 Is our magazine arriving late? We are currently receiving increasing reports that the printed copy of “Swiss Review” is being delivered very late. We are extremely sorry for these delays. We are currently looking into the causes, and into ways to improve the situation. As it remains unclear how quickly the situation will improve, we would like to inform you below of two ways in which you can enjoy the magazine, while you wait for your printed copy to arrive: ■ You can read the latest issue online (www.revue. ch). Or, you can download the magazine as a PDF and print it out if you like (also at www.revue.ch). ■ You can install the “Swiss Review” app on your tablet or smartphone. This app allows you to download, leaf through and read each new issue, including offline. You can find the app by searching for “Swiss Review” on your app provider (App Store or Google Play). Incidentally, if you choose to make a voluntary contribution for your subscription for the coming year in spite of the current difficulties, we would be all the happier. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND FRIEDA BLOGGS, REGIONAL EDITOR FOR X COUNTRY The bank details for the transfer of voluntary subscriptions are as follows (please note that cheques cannot be cashed): IBAN: CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 Bank: Berner Kantonalbank, Bundesplatz 8, CH-3011 Bern BIC/SWIFT: KBBECH22 Beneficiary: BEKB Bern, Account 16.129.446.0.98, Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, FAO Mr A. Kiskery, Alpenstrasse 26, CH-3006 Bern Reference: Support Swiss Review Payments by PayPal: revue.link/support Small initial steps on the long road to more democratic CSA elections The Council of the Swiss Abroad comprises delegates who represent the “Fifth Switzerland” in Berne. A working group is modernising the election procedure. What has it achieved so far? What is the Council of the Swiss Abroad? The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) has 140 members, including 120 delegates from abroad. The CSA is in some respects the parliament of the “Fifth Switzerland”. The delegates are elected for a four-year term, during which they represent the interests of Swiss Abroad to the Swiss authorities. How are the delegates elected? The elections to the Council of the Swiss Abroad do not follow a standard format. For a start, individual larger countries form a constituency. There are also regions of the world in which larger groups of countries are entitled to one or more seats. However, the most glaring deficiency is the lack of a uniform, transparent and representative electoral system. Who are we and what is our goal? This is where the working group, which was established in 2023 at the Congress of the Swiss Abroad in St. Gallen, comes in: it has set itself the task of proposing and promoting a standardised process for democratic elections. This standardised process can be used in the countries that wish to use it. Specifically, the working group is aiming for an e-voting tool tailored to CSA needs – plus guidelines. These guidelines will be used in the individual constituencies and show how the system works plus any points to note in particular. The new system is scheduled to be ready for the CSA elections in 2025. What have we achieved to date? The project aims to improve the representativeness of the Council of the Swiss Abroad. We naturally liaise regularly with the OSA directorate to report on our progress. We are also in touch with most of the countries or regions and have received initial feedback from them. For example, we have realised that implementation has become slightly harder in EU countries due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Naturally, for a project of this scale, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) must be kept in the loop: it is the contact point for consular services for the Swiss Abroad. Having conducted initial talks with the FDFA, one challenge has become apparent: in order to hold digital elections, the email addresses of all voters will be needed as a minimum requirement. That’s why all Swiss Abroad need to provide their nearest representation (embassy or consulate) with their email address. The more addresses there are, the higher the number of people who can take part in the CSA elections – and the more representative and democratically legitimate is the election result. The exchange with the FDFA is ongoing. Other items for discussion include possible solutions to missing email addresses. In summary, we are taking many small steps that we hope are bringing us closer to a workable and suitable solution. There is still a long way to go. TOBIAS ORTH, WORKGROUP.OSA@OUTLOOK.COM SWISS REVIEW 31 Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1
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