Cycling through Jura, the rebellious canton Switzerland’s multi-billion motorway investment – excessive or the end of congestion? Meet ten-tonne “Susanne” – Switzerland’s biggest bell with a beautiful singing voice OCTOBER 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad
Living abroad or returning to Switzerland can sometimes be a challenge! Join our live webinars and ask our experts questions or explore topics already covered like banking, military service, insurance, etc. 15 October 2024: “Challenges of returning to Switzerland at retirement age” 10 December 2024: “Working and job market in Switzerland” With SwissCommunity, the Organization of the Swiss Abroad, you can access tailor-made advice and exclusive webinars to stay connected and well-informed, wherever you are in the world. Webinars Advice & assistance info@swisscommunity.org Our partners: ©pexels.com Consular services anywhere, conveniently on your mobile devices www.fdfa.admin.ch Lisbon For a sustainable future for the Fifth Switzerland With a bequest, you make it possible for the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad to continue to support and represent the rights of the Swiss Abroad. www.swisscommunity.link/bequests Read it the way it’s printed. 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. SWISS REVIEW Cycling through Jura, the rebellious canton Switzerland’s multi-billion motorway investment – excessive or the end of congestion? Meet ten-tonne “Susanne” – Switzerland’s biggest bell with a beautiful singing voice OCTOBER 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad
Time for some history. Let’s go back to 1815, the end of a tumultuous era that saw Napoleon redraw the map of Europe. The French had invaded Switzerland, establishing the short-lived Helvetic Republic. After Napoleon’s defeat, it was the turn of the victorious European powers to redraw many of the continent’s borders at the 1815 Congress of Vienna. The territory of Jura was added to Switzerland – or the canton of Berne, to be precise – as part of the Vienna settlement. Many people in Jura soon felt they belonged to Switzerland – but not to Berne, for linguistic, religious and cultural reasons. Berne did nothing to help itself in this regard. Its politicians mostly looked down on their canton’s new French-speaking pendant, calling it the ‘wretched attic’. The ‘Jura question’ remained unresolved for the next one and a half centuries. Relations over the mountains got worse instead of better, and the threat of violence increased in the 1960s. For a while it had all the ingredients of a civil war. Thankfully things turned out differently, and the years of strife are over. The decisive moment came in 1974, exactly 50 years ago, when Jura’s three northern districts decided to split from the canton of Berne and form their own canton, culminating in the birth of Switzerland’s youngest canton only five years later. Since then, Jura has had the right to shape its own future like all the other cantons in our country’s federal system (see our lead article on page 4). This owes much to the determination of people in Jura – but also to those outside Jura who increasingly wanted a just solution for all involved. An overwhelming 82 per cent of Swiss voters endorsed the new canton in 1978. And even in a Berne ceding half of the territory it won in 1815, the yes vote stood at almost 70 per cent. These days, its Bernese neighbours regularly infiltrate Jura from across the mountains. Mainly at weekends and during holiday periods. Not to reclaim old cantonal territory, but because they love Jura and everything it offers. From dark forests and wide expanses, to steep cliffs, deep gorges and a proud, freedom-loving people with a rebellious streak – Jura is worth a visit. Our intrepid reporter cycled through Jura to investigate. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Jura libre! – The canton of Jura’s foundations were laid 50 years ago 9 News Government to slash public spending amid looming debt 10 50 years of “Swiss Review” Messages from our readers as our magazine turns 50 12 Politics Alain Berset – Switzerland’s man in Strasbourg Switzerland’s multi-billion motorway expansion vote 16 Report Switzerland’s biggest bell hangs in the Bernese Minster News from your region 19 Swiss figures 1 August – Swiss National Day but not the Swiss national birthday 20 Profile Thomas Widmer – the hiking guru who writes beautifully 22 Nature and the environment Electric cars interconnected on the grid can store energy 28 Notes from the Federal Palace Switzerland’s first-ever consulate opened in Bordeaux 30 SwissCommunity One step closer to e-voting in the Council of Swiss Abroad election Cycling through Jura Cover photo: Jura flag above Moutier, the Bernese town set to join the canton of Jura in 2026. Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 3 Editorial Contents Cartoon Max Spring
4 JÜRG STEINER Clinique Le Noirmont in the canton of Jura sits like a castle on the hill above the village from which it takes its name. Behind the building, the terrain drops steeply into the deep gorge of the River Doubs that separates Switzerland from France. In the other direction are the tree-topped highlands of Franches-Montagnes – one of Switzerland’s more thinly populated regions. Wedged in on the border, Clinique Le Noirmont is the biggest national rehabilitation centre for patients with cardiovascular disease. It is a good point from which to begin a tour of Switzerland’s youngest canton, a place where the people have long worn their heart on their sleeve. The canton has a history of defiant activism – one that inspires outsiders who recognise the generous, dissenting, freedom-loving instincts of the people who live there. Jura serves as a romantic counterpoint to efficient, precise, competitive Switzerland. The freedom to In 1974, Jura voted to split from Berne and form its own canton. Fifty years later, what makes the most defiant corner of Switzerland the place it is now? The author got on his bike to find out. Bike at the ready; A stunning snapshot of Jura: Les Breuleux on the left, Le Noirmont somewhere through the mist on the right. Photos: Jürg Steiner (top), Keystone (below) Fifty years since the high-water mark of Jura separatism, how much of this rebelliousness is now myth and how much still reality? To find out, I set off on my bike from Le Noirmont and headed east to Jura’s capital Delémont – a fitting thing to do. The canton of Jura came into being through people battling the political headwinds that came their way. And cyclists are buffeted by plenty of headwinds on the gusty Jura plateau. Marginalised and resentful Sunday, 23 March 1974 turned out to be a historic day when the referendum results were announced. “Il pleut la liberté [It’s raining freedom],” Roger Schaffter, one of the main figures of Jura’s separatist movement, said poetically on the balcony of Delémont’s town hall as it began to rain. 4 Focus
5 by an extra 7,500. Maybe this will be the last piece in the Jura puzzle. In an interview to mark 50 years since the 1974 plebiscite, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider – who lives in the Jura village of Les Breuleux not far from Le Noirmont – said that Jura’s birth as a canton was a reminder of what democracy can do. “The right to freedom and self-determination is something that Jura and its people hold dear.” Cycle through the remote Franches-Montagnes countryside in the direction of Saignelégier (against the headwind naturally) and you will notice that Baume-Schneider’s definition of a free and unfettered Jura extends further than just politics. be different A narrow majority of voters in the seven districts of Jura had just decided that their canton would split from Berne, correcting an arrangement that dated back to the downfall of Napoleon and the 1815 Congress of Vienna, when the territories of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel in the Jura mountains were assigned to the canton of Berne. Jura was a form of compensation for Berne, which had had to give up its territories in Aargau and Vaud. Little Jura – Catholic and French-speaking – now found itself part of the big, Protestant, German-speaking canton of Berne. Longing for territorial autonomy and self-determination, many in Jura felt marginalised and resentful. Political experts now say that the strife surrounding Jura before the historic 1974 vote could even have led to a civil war. This is no exaggeration. From the 1960s onwards, the separatist movement Rassemblement Jurassien and its young militant group Béliers often sailed close to the wind during a resistance campaign against Berne that was as furious as it was effective. In 1969, young demonstrators from Jura gathered at the Bundesplatz in Berne to burn the controversial “Civil Defence” booklet that the Federal Council had distributed to every household in Switzerland. Activists also stormed the National Council chamber in 1968. And radical splinter groups even carried out arson attacks. Jura eventually voted for self-determination peacefully and democratically in June 1974, but in doing so created a new bone of contention: only Jura’s northern districts – Franches-Montagnes, Porrentruy, and Delémont – wanted to establish a new canton. Its southern districts opted to remain with Berne. What democracy can do Hence, Jura was divided in two when the eponymous canton was born and became part of the Swiss Confederation in 1979 – a hard pill to swallow. Battle lines remained and became even more entrenched in people’s hearts and minds. Acts of vandalism and provocation followed, including the audacious theft of the legendary Unspunnen Stone in Interlaken. The stone, which weighed 83.5 kg, was traditionally thrown in competition at the Unspunnen Festival. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, with the district of Moutier due to switch allegiance from Berne to Jura in 2026 – increasing Jura’s population Actor Shawne Fielding and the Unspunnen Stone in 2001. Separatists stole, hid and defaced the stone in 1984. After its whereabouts remained unknown for many years, the object was delivered, randomly, to Fielding, the then wife of the former Swiss ambassador to Berlin. Photo: Keystone Anti-Berne protests by Jura’s separatists were loud and fierce. Pictured here: members of the separatist Béliers group on the streets of Berne in 1972, calling for an independent canton of Jura. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5
Switzerland has a population density of 214 people per km2. The canton of Jura has an average of only 88 inhabitants per km2. Jura has very decent road connections, yet still more than enough space for people to live far enough from each other to tolerate differences of thought or deed. Café du Soleil in Saignelégier village square is steeped in the spirit of nonconformism. In 1980, the year after Jura became a canton, a group of like-minded friends transformed this old venue into a cultural hub. Their aim as stated in the founding manifesto was to create a “space conducive to critical analysis and to freedom”, where people would “reclaim autonomy for themselves and for their region as a whole”. Today, Café du Soleil has lost some of the edginess that set it apart in those early days. On the menu, you can order vegetarian spring roll followed by a 200-gram rib-eye steak. Cultural events consist of exhibitions and concerts. Nonetheless, places like Saignelégier epitomise how Jura’s rebellious image persists to this day. A progressive constitution, way ahead of its time Saignelégier’s camping site, situated not far from the stunning Etang de la Gruère lake reminiscent of the Scandinavian lake districts, is one of the few camping sites in Switzerland with no marked spaces or electrical access points. Or any booking system for that matter. There is enough space for everyone. “C’est ça la liberté,” say the site attendants. I ride a little further before reaching the ostensibly sleepy Franches-Montagnes village of Les Genevez. Local mayor Anael Lovis, aged 23, is the most exciting thing going for Les Genevez these days. But the small municipality made a name for itself decades ago when its residents opposed the construction of a nearby military base that had long been in the pipeline, viewing the proposed complex as a threat to wetlands like the Etang de la Gruère. “A very important episode in the Jura psyche,” says Baume-Schneider. And very important in affirming Jura’s progressive credentials in German-speaking Switzerland. Jura’s ambitious 1979 constitution, which was way ahead of its time (and the rest of Switzerland), helped to consolidate the canton’s forward-looking reputation, enshrining the right to strike, the right to work, the right to housing, the principle of gender equality, and the establishment of an office for women’s affairs. Non-Swiss residents in Jura are also allowed to vote in cantonal elections and referendums. The A16 motorway The long ride down from the Franches-Montagnes highlands gives me time to take in the scenery. The weather-worn road has barely enough room to negotiate the Many Swiss associate Jura with wetlands like the famous Etang de la Gruère lake pictured here. Photo: Keystone Jura in its current form. The canton will increase in size at the beginning of 2026, when Moutier – situated on the map between Delémont and Grenchen – switches allegiance from Berne to Jura. Café du Soleil in Saignelégier is a cultural hub steeped in the spirit of nonconformism. Photo: Jürg Steiner Le Noirmont Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 6 Focus
deep and narrow Pichoux Gorge. Warm air blows into my face, rising from the more densely populated, intensely farmed stretch of plain between Bassecourt and Delémont, where I discover a different type of Jura. One that is a little less bolshie and more business minded. Ahead of me I see the A16, an 85-kilometre-long motorway that traverses the Jura, starting in Biel in the canton of Berne and ending in Boncourt on the French border. Also referred to as the ‘Transjura’, the A16 cost 6.6 billion Swiss francs to build not only because of Jura’s complicated geology but also on account of the many bridges and tunnel portals aesthetically designed along the route by Ticino architect Flora Ruchat-Roncati. Construction began shortly after Jura’s inauguration as a canton. It finished in 2017. The A16 was a federal project to connect the underdog border region with the vibrant economic hubs of the Central Plateau, or Mittelland. There is no real statistical evidence to prove whether the Transjura now serves its original purpose. Switzerland’s population is booming, whereas Jura’s is more or less stagnating. With higher-than-average unemployment, Jura contributes less to the Swiss economy than most cantons. The canton’s finances are less than rosy. It makes you wonder whether the physical lifeline of the Transjura has actually encouraged a sort of brain drain. Jura historian Clément Crevoisier would probably say it has. Crevoisier has been studying his canton for decades. Jura’s linguistic and geographic isolation is a big problem, he says. Its population doesn’t even feel much affinity with the rest of French-speaking Switzerland. Young people move away to university – often never to return. But Crevoisier also believes that decades of separatist thinking has created a mental block that prevents Jura from realising its full potential. “Unfortunately, the ideological urge to view everything in black and white ignores Jura’s multicultural roots.” More myth than reality? Jura’s former cantonal government minister Jean-François Roth also worries about the inertia that has beset his canton. “Jura has calmed down quite a bit,” he said on the 50th anniversary of the historic 1974 vote. “I’m not convinced our canton still embodies the idea that people had when it was founded.” But is that idea more myth than reality nowadays, buffeted by the crosswinds of economic growth? I arrive in Jura’s capital Delémont and leave my bike in a small, unassuming pedestrian precinct opposite the station. Writer Camille Rebetez is based in Delémont. Until recently, he was working as the art mediator at the ambitious Théâtre du Jura. His parents helped to open Café du Soleil in Saignelégier. Rebetez co-authored a comic called “Les Indociles” (The Troublemakers), which was adapted last year into a series of the same name for Swiss television. “Les Indociles” follows the exploits of three friends in Jura’s Franches-Montagnes district who, from the 1970s onwards, unshackle themselves from societal constraints to create a community based on equality. Their idealism makes painful acquaintance with reality and the frailties of humanity. “My characters are at the mercy of liberal economics,” Rebetez told the press when the last comic was published. “They must learn how to lose without losing hope. They are unable to save the world but keep fighting for their chance to do so.” Fifty years after the 1974 vote, the same could be said about Jura. The mood was fractious in November 1969, when young Jura separatists burned hundreds of copies of the controversial red “Civil Defence” booklet in front of the Federal Palace. Photo: Keystone Members of the Béliers group wanted to block the entrance to Berne’s city hall in 1971, but the police had other ideas. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 7
Political outcry over OASI miscalculation The federal government admitted in August that it had miscalculated its financial projections for Switzerland’s old-age and survivors’ (OASI) state pension scheme, saying that an incorrect calculation formula at the Federal Social Insurance Office had caused it to get its sums wrong by 14 billion francs. It turns out that OASI is in better financial health than previously thought. The erroneous forecast also has political ramifications, especially because it was a key argument in the popular vote of 25 September 2022 on raising the retirement age for women. These overly pessimistic figures were even included in the material sent to voters ahead of the plebiscite, which eventually saw a narrow majority of 50.5 per cent approving an increase in the retirement age. The Swiss Green Party, in particular, is now calling for a rerun of the vote. Its president Lisa Mazzone has already said it will take the matter to Switzerland’s highest court, the Federal Supreme Court. The Swiss Social Democratic Party, meanwhile, immediately demanded that the voter-endorsed 13th OASI pension payment now be introduced ahead of schedule, from 2025 onwards, arguing that there is indeed money in reserve. Centre-right and right-wing politicians have also reacted strongly, their main message being that the botched calculations have eroded public confidence – precisely at a time when the federal government is actively warning of drastic cost-cutting measures ahead (see also page 9). (MUL) Paris Olympics – Switzerland wins eight medals and narrowly misses out on nine more Chiara Leone (26) was the Swiss hero, taking home gold in the women’s 50-metre rifle three-position event. Julie Derron (triathlon) and Steve Guerdat (individual horse jumping) collected silver, while Swiss competitors also won five bronze medals: Zoé Claessens (women’s BMX racing); Audrey Gogniat (women’s 10m air rifle); Roman Mityukov (swimming, men’s 200m backstroke); Roman Röösli and Andrin Gulich (rowing, men’s pair); Tanja Hüberli and Nina Brunner (women’s beach volleyball). Swiss Olympic achieved its medal target, but satisfaction at this result is tempered slightly by the fact that Swiss athletes finished fourth in nine disciplines, narrowly missing out on the podium. Switzerland also finished further down the medal table than usual, in 48th position. (MUL) See “Swiss figures” on page 19 for details of a Swiss exploit of a different kind at the Olympics. Susanne Wille Susanne Wille will take on what is probably the most difficult job in Swiss broadcasting when she becomes director general of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) on 1 November – with responsibility for 7,000 staff around Switzerland. The public broadcaster comprises four regional companies: SRF for German-speaking, RTS for French-speaking, RSI for Italian-speaking and RTR for Romanshspeaking Switzerland. SRG SSR also includes the swissinfo website, which provides news and background reports from Switzerland in ten different languages for an international audience. Funded by a licence fee, SRG SSR faces an uncertain future. The “CHF 200 is enough!” initiative is due to be put to voters in 2026, its right-wing supporters aiming to reduce the annual radio and television licence fee for private households from 335 to just 200 francs – and exempt companies from the levy entirely. Approval of the initiative could spell very frugal times ahead for SRG SSR, which hopes that Susanne Wille is the person to avert the worst and convince the electorate to vote no. Wille, who used to front television programmes and currently heads the SRG SSR cultural department, is a popular journalist best known for her work in German-speaking Switzerland. She said she wants a public broadcaster “that listens and belongs to everyone”. The 50-year-old has instant appeal and is considered favourably by those who want SRG SSR to remain a strong public broadcaster despite a drop in audience share. Yet the new director general has no option but to cut costs, given that the Federal Council wants to meet the SVP initiative halfway by reducing the SRG SSR licence fee to 300 francs. Wille will have some unpopular decisions to make. THEODORA PETER Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 8 Top pick News
9 SUSANNE WENGER Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) said at the beginning of the year that Switzerland’s finances were “out of kilter”. She has been issuing similar warnings ever since. Before the summer recess, Keller-Sutter presented a budget for 2025 that will save the government over two billion Swiss francs – thanks to a series of short-term measures that include across-the-board cuts applying to all government departments (including “Swiss Review”, see page 33). With tax receipts also expected to rise, the proposed budget – 85.7 billion francs in revenue, 86.5 billion francs in spending – only shows a small deficit. Yet the cost-cutting has only just begun, according to the finance minister. Government projections show a structural deficit of 2.5 billion francs from 2027 onwards. Structural deficit is that part of the deficit not related to the state of the economy. Nevertheless, Keller-Sutter says such a deficit would fly in the face of the voter-endorsed ‘debt brake’ that the Swiss government introduced in 2003. Cut costs – but where? The looming debt is down to what Keller-Sutter calls “a sharp increase in expenditure”. The government needs to tighten its belt. But where can cuts be made? Two thirds of federal expenditure is bound by law, and influential lobbies in parliament are well versed in fending off cuts in the sectors they represent. Furthermore, politicians disagree on how stringent the debt brake should be. The centre-right and right-wing parties advocate rigid compliance, while the left believes there is scope for interpretation. Switzerland’s debt ratio – or national debt in relation to GDP – rose again during the pandemic. Yet in the 20 financially stable years that preceded Covid, debt was not only avoided but even paid off. Switzerland’s debt ratio remains low by international standards. And while government spending may have increased, Keller-Sutter’s critics point out that this is a price worth paying for social stability and good infrastructure. Expected cuts in development aid All this has been the subject of heated debate for months in Berne, with hasty manoeuvring and horse-trading in parliament. The implications are particularly significant with regard to international security and cooperation. With the war in Ukraine already making the world a riskier place, a majority in parliament want the government to increase the defence budget by the planned four billion by 2030, irrespective of the finance minister’s cost-cutting targets. The Council of States would like half of this quicker-than-planned increase in expenditure to be offset by development aid – the consensus being that money for development aid has increased in recent years, and not all aid projects have been effective. As if taking money from the poorest of the poor and giving it to the armed forces were not enough: the Federal Council intends to siphon off development aid to fund part of its aid budget for Ukraine over the next four years. The Billions at stake in the federal budget The armed forces are to receive more funding. But Berne also wants to save money amid a looming budget deficit. The fight for federal money has begun. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has warned of cost-cutting ahead, saying that Switzerland’s finances are “out of kilter”. Photo: Keystone decision taken by the Council of States in June attracted widespread criticism – not only from development agencies and left-wing politicians, but from other quarters including the Swiss Foreign Policy Society and the State Secretary for Economic Affairs. Objectors argue that development cooperation should also be an integral part of a farsighted security policy, and that Switzerland’s global solidarity is at stake. Everything to play for The National Council was due to vote on the defence budget in its autumn session this September (after the editorial deadline of this edition of “Swiss Review”), with an external group of experts commissioned by the Federal Council also primed to deliver proposals on getting the public finances in order. Since spring, the group has been conducting a review of all areas of public spending including subsidies. A series of round-table talks will follow, with key decisions to be made during parliament’s winter session in December. There is everything to play for. This article reflects the situation at the time of our editorial deadline on 20 August 2024. Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 News
No birthday cake. No bubbly. When a magazine like ours celebrates its anniversary, feedback from our readers – positive and negative – is the best gift we can receive. And the pleasure is double at the moment. Firstly, we have received thousands of responses to our readership survey. We will evaluate these submissions in the weeks to come. Secondly, many readers from around the globe have written in to tell us about their feelings and attachment towards “Swiss Review”. We have included a small selection of these messages in this edition. Visit revue.link/testimonials to read more. What is particularly gratifying is how many people regard “Swiss Review” as we also like to regard it ourselves: not only as a source of information, but also as both an emotional and – in the case of the print edition – tangible, tactile link between the “over here” and “over there” that have shaped the lives of Swiss Abroad around the world. The first “Swiss Review” was published in 1974. What changes has it gone through since then? Visit revue. link/jubilee50 to read about the magazine’s evolution over the years. To mark our 50th birthday, all editions of “Swiss Review” have been converted into digital format in all the relevant publication languages, allowing readers to browse back in time. This archive collection has been made possible by the Swiss National Library in cooperation with E-Periodica, the ETH Library’s platform for digitised Swiss journals: www.revue.link/review50 MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “I am a Swiss from Lausanne in Vaud, and also a Canadian from Blainviller in Quebec; two nationalities with one origin – Switzerland. From my home in Quebec, the ‘Swiss Review’ provides a constant connection to the country close to my heart. It is like Cenovis or Thomy mustard: I can’t live without it!” PHILIPPE MAGNENAT, QUEBEC, CANADA “For a long time, the magazine was my only connection to Switzerland. I am currently studying political science, so articles on Switzerland’s domestic issues interest me in particular these days. But ‘Swiss Review’ not only provides information, it also brings people together. I took part in a youth camp in 2016 – an experience that changed my life and made me appreciate my family roots even more.” ANA SCHNEEBELI, 19 YEARS OLD, ARGENTINA “The ‘Swiss Review’ is one of my active interfaces with Swiss who live abroad. Maintaining this link is important to ensure that Swiss citizens around the globe are never ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Your magazine deserves our thanks.” LAURENT WEHRLI, NATIONAL COUNCILLOR, GLION, CANTON OF VAUD, SWITZERLAND “I was born elsewhere, but I am legally and emotionally Swiss. I devour the ‘Swiss Review’ in the same way that I used to eat Ragusa chocolate. Reading it helps me span an imaginary bridge between my time in Switzerland and the here and now. I always have the magazine on my desk among my books and paintbrushes. And after I have read it, I use it as a tabletop protector – to absorb even more colour and emotion along the way. The Swiss Review has entered the fabric of my life.” IOANA LAZAROIU, FRÉJUS-SAINT RAPHAËL, FRANCE What our readers say about “Swiss Review” on its 50th anniversary The first-ever edition of “Swiss Review” arrived in people’s letter boxes 50 years ago. Half a century later, the Swiss Abroad have written to us in droves to tell us about their own unique relationship with the magazine. Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 10 “Swiss Review” on its 50th anniversary
“The ‘Swiss Review’ has always given me a connection to a part of my roots. This magazine from a faraway country has been part of our lives here ever since I can remember, containing articles and photos that tell not only of Switzerland’s social and economic well-being, but of its unparalleled beauty too. It serves as the perfect window to picture-perfect Switzerland.” MICAELA BERTUCHE, ARGENTINA “The ‘Swiss Review’ is excellent in every way. Dear editors, please know that I rate your magazine a strong 20+ out of 20! Regards to you and to our beautiful country.” ETIENNE MAFFEI, FRANCE I’ve been a loyal reader of the ‘Swiss Review’ for quite some time now, and I must say, it’s been a delightful journey. As someone who appreciates a good read, the ‘Swiss Review’ has never disappointed me. It’s a carefully curated window into the Swiss way of life, culture, and current affairs. It’s like having a little piece of Switzerland delivered right to my doorstep, without the need to climb the Alps or yodel for it. Each issue [makes] me feel more connected to my heritage and the wider Swiss community. One of the things I love most about the ‘Swiss Review’ is its ability to strike the perfect balance between serious journalism and light-hearted storytelling.” RUTH KAMIENECKI-BRASCHLER AND FAMILY, USA “My journey with the ‘Swiss Review’ began during my preschool days. I have vivid memories of poring over the printed version, captivated by the vibrant and creative pictures, before I could even read. This nostalgic experience creates a deep connection for us as readers. Each edition brings a wealth of knowledge and insights. The ‘Swiss Review’ remains an essential link to our Swiss heritage, providing a sense of continuity and community that is invaluable to Swiss Abroad around the world.” FRANCOIS SCHWALB, MOOKETSI, SOUTH AFRICA “I’ve been an avid reader of the ‘Swiss Review’ for as long as I can remember. Ever since I settled in the USA 33 years ago, this publication has been a constant in my mailbox. What keeps me turning its pages are the captivating articles about Switzerland’s rich cultural and political landscape. But what I enjoy the most is reading about the various Swiss clubs across North America. These glimpses into their vibrant activities and celebrations of Swiss culture inspire me. It’s nice to see how actively Swiss people abroad stay connected to their heritage, making the ‘Swiss Review’ a cherished link to our homeland.” HEDWIG VICKI BURKHARD, FORT MYERS, USA Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 11
EVELINE RUTZ In the heart of Europe yet somehow detached from it all – Switzerland is something of an anomaly. When European heads of government meet, the Swiss are usually absent. Surveys consistently show that the majority of the Swiss population are sceptical towards the European Union (EU). Political efforts to align more closely with the EU are not generally well received, outweighed by fears that rapprochement will endanger sovereignty and prosperity. The majority seem to be happy for Switzerland to play a bit part in European politics. lives in a beautiful Strasbourg mansion. With over 1,800 staff and an annual budget of some 625 million Swiss francs, Berset is responsible for strategic planning and for representing the Council of Europe as an organisation. Predecessor Marija Pejcinovic Buric of Croatia was a relatively cautious general secretary, but Berset looks set to lead from the front and drive the agenda. He says he wants to bolster the organisation, which aims to protect human rights and is also home to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Berset’s appointment is also likely to imAlain Berset puts Switzerland on the European stage Alain Berset is the first Swiss to become secretary general of the Council of Europe, an institution that he wishes to strengthen. Berset’s appointment is also likely to enhance his home country’s profile across Europe. someone at the top of a leading organisation,” she says. Switzerland is not an EU member, so this position of authority means something. In her opinion, Alain Berset has everything it takes to give the Council of Europe greater credibility. This interpretation is widely shared. Berne’s mediating role has been strengthened, says SVP politician Alfred Heer, who heads the Swiss delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and has noticed how other members now afford him and his colleagues greater respect. “It always helps when you have a compatriot in the top job.” But Heer is keen to emphasise that the secretary general has a duty to serve the Council of Europe as a whole – that means all 46 member states. He thinks that Berset coming from a non-EU country is an advantage. “With Alain Berset at the helm, I sincerely hope the Council of Europe can again play a more active role in resolving conflicts.” Berset’s priority: Ukraine Berset has already stressed more than once that he wants to prioritise support for Ukraine. “Reparations need to be paid for the damage inflicted on Ukraine,” he says. To calculate future reparation payments, the Council of Europe wishes to document the impact of the Russian invasion. Berset also wants to strengthen During a visit to Switzerland in September 2023, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, met the then President of the Swiss Confederation Alain Berset – who is now her successor. Photo: Keystone Selfie time – Alain Berset meets four sumo wrestlers during a state visit to Japan in 2018. Photo: Peter Klaunzer, Keystone It was remarkable, therefore, to see political parties unanimously pushing earlier this year for former Federal Councillor Alain Berset (SP) to become secretary general of the Council of Europe. Politicians from left to right agreed that filling this important position constituted a rare opportunity for Switzerland. Their unity paid off: Berset, who left the Federal Council at the end of 2023, started his new job on 18 September 2024. The 52-year-old now prove Switzerland’s profile across Europe. Not by bringing Swiss interests to the table, but by representing a nation that mediates in conflicts and is proud of its tradition of ‘good offices’. Switzerland’s role in Europe Helen Keller, who is a law professor and former judge at the ECtHR, believes that Switzerland will become less isolated in Europe. “We now have Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 12 Politics
statesman’. This helped him in the race to become the next secretary general. His rivals for the post, Indrek Saar (Estonia) and Didier Reynders (Belgium), lacked such experience. Berset also knows about crises, having been the face of the government’s Covid response from the outset as health minister. He, and the rest of the Federal Council, were widely praised for Covid restrictions that were relatively measured compared to those of other countries. But he also came in for fierce criticism from those who were against rules like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Berset made headlines in government when an alleged former lover reportedly tried to blackmail him. And in summer 2022, he was intercepted by two military aircraft after flying his rented Cessna 182 into restricted French airspace. The media had a field day, but the SP politician batted off awkward questions with aplomb. His nonchalance, as critics called it, may have rubbed some people the wrong way, yet Berset’s approval ratings were largely unaffected. During his last year in office, he was still viewed by the public as the most influential member of the Federal Council. It appears that the Council of Europe was also looking for someone like Berset. You should never forget where you come from, Berset told the “Tages-Anzeiger”, noting pointedly that he was a federal councillor from Fribourg who was joining the Council of Europe as a Swiss national. Incidentally, Berset rejects criticism of the ECtHR for its verdict on the ‘climate seniors’ case (see “Swiss Review” 4/2024). Switzerland ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and is obliged to implement rulings by the Strasbourg judges, he said. “We lie in the heart of Europe and share Europe’s values.” the organisation as a whole. He intends to push back against media manipulation and disinformation, which has taken on a new dimension through AI. After being elected, he talked of the big responsibility he was taking on, noting that the Council of Europe was committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law. “These are the values that make our continent stable, and we must fight for them every day.” No stranger to the limelight Charismatic, eloquent and self-assured, Berset is very much at ease on the international stage. A former junior 800-metres champion, the Frenchspeaking Swiss from Fribourg was an accomplished athlete when he was younger. Single-mindedness on the running track seems to have rubbed off on his political career. Berset was elected to the Council of States in 2003, becoming the youngest member of the smaller chamber at 31. He was voted onto the Federal Council in 2011. As head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, Berset was notably responsible for health and social policy. He was the president of the Swiss Confederation in 2018 and 2023, representing the federal government at the highest level – and enjoying the limelight that this afforded him. From welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron to Berne on a state visit, to rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump and Olaf Scholz, Berset has earned a reputation as ‘Switzerland’s The future of Ukraine is the main priority, said Berset even before being elected as general secretary. Photo: Keystone Rarely seen outside without his Borsalino – the Alain Berset that Switzerland remembers well. The hat became Berset’s trademark particularly during the Covid pandemic. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 13
Harmful expansion or efficient highways? Switzerland’s motorway debate Switzerland wants to invest 5.3 billion francs in motorway expansion aimed at cutting traffic congestion. Opponents argue this will encourage even more traffic onto the roads. On 24 November, voters will decide whether to approve the contentious plan. The six-lane Grauholz section of the A1 motorway is to be widened to eight lanes. This expansion will encroach on the agricultural land that you can see in the background. Photo: Keystone The Grauholz section of the A1, Switzerland’s oldest stretch of motorway, was opened on 10 May 1962. Crowds braved the rain to greet the first motorists. No one had installed crash barriers. Archive photo: Keystone THEODORA PETER Switzerland has been criss-crossed by motorways from east to west and from north to south for the last 60 years. The A1 at Grauholz near Berne is one of the oldest sections of Swiss motorway. Around 16,000 vehicles a day used to pass over this stretch of tarmac in the 1970s. This has since increased to a whopping 100,000, meaning congestion at rush hours. The section was widened to six lanes in the 1990s. Now the federal government would like to extend it to eight lanes – in one of six road projects to be funded by a national credit of 5.3 billion Swiss francs. Other projects include motorway expansion near Lake Geneva, a new road tunnel under the Rhine in Basel, and additional tunnels near St. Gallen and Schaffhausen. A 40-strong alliance of environmental organisations and political parties has called the projects excessive. The group has managed to initiate a referendum opposing the parliament-approved funding, which is why the matter will now be put to voters on 24 November 2024. “The notion that you can prevent traffic congestion by building roads is a relic from the last century,” says the Green national councillor for the canton of St. Gallen, Franziska Ryser, who cochairs umverkehR, a group campaigning for a rethink on motorised travel. Instead of investing in “fossil-fuel mega projects”, public money would be better spent on shifting traffic from roads onto railways, she adds. A case of chicken or egg Opponents of the expansion view motorways as climate killers. Not only is road traffic responsible for around a third of carbon emissions, but the vast amounts of concrete and steel needed for big projects like these generate harmful greenhouse gases too, they say. Then you have noise pollution and the loss of valuable green space. The Bernese Farmers’ Union has also spoken out against the Grauholz expansion, which it says will destroy several hectares of agricultural land. The core message of the No campaign is that more and wider roads can only bring brief respite. By expanding motorway capacity, you are creating the wrong incentives and, therefore, causing more congestion in the long term. The question of whether more roads actually lead to more traffic is difficult to answer, say experts. For Carsten Hagedorn, who is a professor in traffic planning at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, it is a classic case of the chicken or the egg. “What came first, the traffic or the roads?” Ultimately, we build roads where there is a demand for these roads, Hagedorn told Radio SRF. And new roads shorten the time we spend travelling. “Travel times are an important factor in deciding whether to take the car or a different mode of transport. Road expansion can therefore make the car option much more attractive.” Congestion is costly For supporters of the Yes campaign, the expansion is solely about relieving congestion. Traffic infrastructure 14 Politics
Overview of all the votes on 24 November 2024 Credit to increase motorway capacity In 2023, parliament endorsed a formal step to increase national motorway capacity: a credit of 5.3 billion francs to fund six different projects that will see the construction of additional lanes as well as new tunnels on heavily frequented sections of motorway. A 40-strong alliance of organisations and parties opposes the projects, calling them harmful, expensive and pointless. Centre-right and right-wing politicians who support the bill say that the projects are solely about relieving congestion (see main article). Landlord/tenant rights I: Stricter rules on subletting Tenants who wish to sublet an apartment or room will in future require written consent from the owner – and will also have to provide more information on the intended subletting. Verbal consent has been sufficient until now. Tenants who break the rules could have their rental agreements terminated. The Swiss Tenants’ Association and the left-green parties oppose the changes. Landlord/tenant rights II: Termination for personal use made easier Parliament has approved a bill that would make it easier for landlords to terminate tenancies if they want to set aside their property for personal use. Until now, landlords have had to prove that they need their property “urgently” for personal use or for use by close relatives in order to terminate an existing rental agreement. The left-wing parties call the bill a “brazen attack by the landlord lobby” on tenants’ rights, while centre-right and right-wing politicians think the changes are fair. Standardised health insurance funding model Every area of the healthcare sector – outpatients, inpatients, and care – is currently subject to different funding regimes. By introducing a standardised funding model, parliament hopes to incentivise cost savings, e.g. more outpatient treatment instead of expensive hospital stays. Potential annual savings would total 440 million francs per annum. Switzerland’s public services union (VPOD/ SSP) opposes the reform, saying it will lead to a decline in healthcare working conditions and in the quality of care provided. francs a year. When goods and services take longer to get from A to B, they become more expensive. Another argument put forward by the Yes campaign is that the projects will provide relief to residential areas, with free-flowing traffic on Switzerland’s main arteries helping to reduce traffic on alternative routes. If commuters have fewer traffic jams to worry about, they will be less inclined to make detours onto local roads or neighbourhoods. And this will improve quality of life for people in towns and cities. Three other proposals will be put to the electorate in November (see box). For Swiss Abroad who own and let property in Switzerland, votes on two bills affecting landlord/tenant rights are of particular significance. built over 60 years ago no longer meets the current needs of people and businesses, says Thurgau SVP National Councillor and businesswoman Diana Gutjahr. “Workers stuck in traffic jams are unable to Yes campaign: www.zusammen-vorwaertskommen.ch No campaign: www.autobahnwahn.ch “The notion that you can prevent traffic congestion by building roads is a relic from the last century.” FRANZISKA RYSER, NATIONAL COUNCILLOR FOR THE GREENS (CANTON OF ST. GALLEN), FROM THE NO CAMPAIGN work.” And they can’t just commute by train instead, she argues. Some 48,800 hours of congestion were recorded across Switzerland’s national road network in 2023, 22 per cent more than in the previous year. According to Gutjahr, traffic congestion generates costs of around 1.2 billion 15
A bell called Susanne The Grosse Glocke in the Bernese Minster is a big church bell. Also referred to as “Susanne”, it weighs almost ten tonnes and has a beautiful singing voice. There is no shortage of bells in Switzerland, but Susanne is the largest of them all. Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 16 Report
The Bernese Minster bells The different bells in this recorded peal at the Bernese Minster come in one after the other at the following times (in seconds): Silberglocke 0' Betglocke 4' Armsünderglocke 9' Predigtglocke 12' Mittagsglocke 17' Grosse Glocke / Susanne 22' You have to listen carefully to pick out the Grosse Glocke in this recording. Its bass remains in the background and fits seamlessly into the peal as a whole – belying the size of the actual bell. www.revue.link/susanne thuses Walter. “It’s a continuous incantation.” The bells ring in unison once a year The Bernese Minster has seven bells in total – three in the lower bell tower, four in the upper bell tower. They can be rung in many different combinations. Only once a year do they all ring at the same time: before service on the first Sunday of Advent. What applies to individual bells also applies to the sound of the bells in unison. There will be imperfections. The bellmakers knew there were a few variables – such as diameter or thickness – that affect the pitch, i.e. how high or low the sound is. It is the same principle with wine glasses, says Walter. “They make a deeper sound the bigger and thinner they are.” But bells often didn’t come out precisely the way the bellmakers wanted, he explains. Some churches DÖLF BARBEN Look at a map of Switzerland through squinted eyes – don’t you think it looks a little bit like a hotel reception bell? The canton of Schaffhausen is where you press at the top for the bell to sound. Maybe this was meant to be, given that Switzerland is well known for its bells. You can hear them everywhere. There are thousands of bells in the towers of cathedrals, churches and chapels around the country. Even more hang around the necks of cows, sheep and goats. And if that’s not enough, people carry bells around with them too. Like the Trychler groups with their ear-splitting processions, not to mention strident political views of late. Think, too, of the well-known children’s picture book “A Bell for Ursli” by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet – the story of a boy who wants to ring the biggest bell at Chalandamarz, the Grisons spring ritual to chase out the evil spirits of winter. It’s all in the acoustics Bells reign supreme. But what makes them so special? Why don’t churches hang up plates of metal to hit instead? Matthias Walter knows why. The 46-year-old architectural historian from Berne is one of Switzerland’s most sought-after experts on bells. “Knock on the side of a metal oil tank with a hammer,” he says. “All you will hear is a boom and a clang. That’s the difference.” Walter is standing in the lower bell tower of the Bernese Minster – the perfect place to talk about bells. Above him hangs Switzerland’s biggest bell. Called the Grosse Glocke but also referred to affectionately as “Susanne”, it is 413 years old, weighs almost ten tonnes, and is tuned to E. Walter hits the bell with the palm of his hand. You hear the impact, but then a very faint, beautiful sound. “You won’t get that with a plate of metal.” Nor with a traditional rounded cowbell forged from brass. “It makes a sound, but you wouldn’t call it music as such.” Church bells, on the other hand, are cast. They are usually made of bronze, which is a mixture of copper and tin. “Bells can sing.” Thickness matters People have been making bells since time immemorial, but it was only in the Middle Ages that bells took on their classical form, i.e. thicker at the bottom, which, according to Walter, is the secret behind getting a good clear strike note. A bell will actually produce around 30 additional notes, some of which are barely audible. First you get the high pitches imparting various dissonances, which then create the characteristic chime. “Despite the discord, bells can sound beautiful,” says Walter. The Grosse Glocke is a fine example. It has quite a velvety timbre and no real din as such. “It sounds noble and calm.” Susanne and five other bells at the Bernese Minster ring for every Sunday service. On feast days, the Grosse Glocke rings on its own. It never sounds like it’s being struck, enBerne has never had a bishop, so the Minster and its bells had to look very important instead. Photos (left and above): Keystone Higher, farther, faster, more beautiful? In search of somewhat unconventional Swiss records This edition: Listening to Switzerland’s biggest church bell Swiss Review / October 2024 / No.5 17
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