DECEMBER 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad Cooling towers, heated debate: nuclear is back on the agenda The civil engineering project restoring the Reuss Delta into a haven for plants, animals – and people One giant leap – how the Gotthard massif is being used as a lunar training ground
© pexels.com Consular services anywhere, conveniently on your mobile devices www.fdfa.admin.ch Kuala Lumpur (2023) Read it instead of waiting. Is your printed copy of “Swiss Review” overdue again? You can 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. SWISS REVIEW DECEMBER 2024 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad Cooling towers, heated debate: nuclear is back on the agenda The civil engineering project restoring the Reuss delta into a haven for plants, animals – and people One giant leap – how the Gotthard massif is being used as a lunar training ground 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 Illustration : Sandra Liscio 2025 Together around the world! Discover our New Year’s card and subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected to the Fifth Switzerland! Scan to see our animated greetings Our partners:
I suspect plenty of people living in Switzerland like to have a good grumble about their home country now and again, whereas they will often defend everything about Switzerland whenever they are on holiday abroad. Swiss expatriates probably also recognise this phenomenon. Yet, anyone who by definition has two homes – one in which they live, and another one to which they feel permanently attached – will tend to appreciate the benefits of both. These thoughts have come to mind because I have been editing this edition of the magazine elsewhere for a change: not in Berne but far away in the stormy southern hemisphere springtime. As a temporary Swiss Abroad, you could say. One of the features of my time away has been the conversations I have had about what it means to be Swiss. For starters, what is direct democracy? Let me give a careful answer: it is when voters, i.e. the people, not only elect parliament but also give their verdict on specific issues every few months. Every popular vote is a reality check for parliament and government, revealing the thoughts, hopes, fears and wishes of the electorate. What a wonderful concept. But then the conversation turns to the topic of nuclear energy. Seven years ago, voters decided that Switzerland would not be building any new nuclear power stations, but despite that Energy Minister Albert Rösti now wants to construct new plants. This is a thorny issue. From the point of view of Swiss energy security, such an about-turn makes sense to some extent, if you discount the unresolved question of nuclear waste. From the point of view of democracy, however, circumventing the will of the people seems an audacious move. At least that is how it appears to those visiting far away places who are trying to explain the magic of 'direct democracy'. But we can breathe a sigh of relief. Regardless of how far parliament and government want to plough ahead with new reactors, it is still the people who will ultimately decide. And maybe more cantons will have introduced e-voting by then, thereby allowing as many Swiss Abroad as possible to have their say on this crucial matter. Without further ado, our lead article in this new edition of “Swiss Review” delves into the nuclear debate that has divided opinion in Switzerland for over half a century. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Switzerland’s nuclear debate reignites 10 Profile Martina Schmid knows how to make a cow’s life more pleasant 12 Nature and the environment Man-made islands are restoring the Reuss delta to its former glory 14 Culture Inheritance – blessing or curse? A new Swiss documentary searches for answers 18 Report How budding astronauts are training on the Gotthard massif 22 Society Suicide pod forces Switzerland to revisit the issue of assisted dying Itching to fly – Swiss air travel is back to pre-pandemic levels 26 Politics Opposition to a digital-only Switzerland comes from a surprising source Nature protection initiative: Farmers torpedo biodiversity proposal 30 Literature The heart-rending poems of Gertrud Pfander, who died aged 24 32 Notes from the Federal Palace The “Rütli of the Fifth Switzerland” is in Brunnen 35 SwissCommunity news Direct democracy Cover photo: Cooling tower at the Leibstadt nuclear power plant (canton of Aargau). Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Photo: seeschuettung.ch Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 3 Editorial Contents
4 Focus CHRISTOF FORSTER Seven years ago, Swiss voters gave the green light to a Switzerland free of nuclear power. The last nuclear power plants were to be decommissioned by 2050 as the country moved to full reliance on renewable energies and imports. The Federal Council now wants to change that: it decided at the end of August it would allow the construction of new nuclear power plants again. For that to happen, the construction ban has to lose its legal status. Albert Rösti reignites the atomic debate Seven years ago, Swiss voters decided to phase out nuclear power. The Federal Council is now looking to reverse that: it wants to approve the building of new nuclear power plants. This is a 180-degree shift in energy policy. This has really shaken up the energy debate in Switzerland. The discussion on the pros and cons of nuclear power, once thought to be over, is back with a vengeance. Energy Minister Albert Rösti is talking about a “paradigm shift”. Whereas politics and the economy had been contemplating a future without nuclear power, all bets are now off the table. Nuclear power has always been a polarising issue. The Fukushima nuclear catastrophe in 2011 gave a boost to the anti-nuclear lobby. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Europe’s cities to protest against nuclear power. In Switzerland, Energy Minister Doris Leuthard, known as a supporter of nuclear power, placed applications to build new reactors on ice three days following the seaquake. That same year, the Federal Council decided to phase out nuclear energy over the long term. Nuclear power plants were to remain operational for as long as they were deemed safe by the supervisory authority. However, they would not be replaced. This deciSwiss Review / December 2024 / No.6
Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard engineered the move away from nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster. On 25 May 2011, she declared that Switzerland was not prepared to replace its current nuclear power plants once they reached the end of their operating life. tion. At the same time, there aren’t extensive reserves of power just waiting to be used. The energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made that abundantly clear. A winter energy shortfall in Switzerland became a realistic prospect and the authorities created crisis plans. Out of nowhere, the concept of a power shortage planted itself in the public consciousness. Simonetta Sommaruga, who was energy minister at the time, called for people to cook with the lid on the pot and take showers together. In the end, a serendipitous turn of events made the ‘22/’23 winter crisis planning redundant. The gas power plants once seen as a viable alternative source are incompatible with the net-zero objective. They are now only considered as an emergency reserve, i.e. to bridge an electricity shortfall over a number of weeks, as heavy reliance on imports is excessively risky. Potential energy suppliers throughout the country all face the same issue: where will the power come from? Switzerland is by no means alone in this regard. Several European countries have postponed their plans to wean themselves off nuclear power, or even abandoned them altogether, including Belgium and several eastern European countries. The United Kingdom and Slovakia are even expanding 5 tinct possibility that the initiative will be withdrawn if parliament supports the Federal Council’s counterproposal. This would play into the hands of the atomic lobby, in so far as a vote would only require the backing of a majority of the electorate and not of the cantons as well. The left is accusing SVP Federal Councillor Rösti of misrepresenting the will of the people, which is somewhat ironic as he is a representative of the party that sees the will of the people as paramount. SP National Councillor Roger Nordmann argues that the government’s position is diametrically opposed to the energy and climate policy favoured by the public. The voters have clearly and repeatedly shown that they back the phasing out of nuclear energy in favour of a secure energy supply sourced from renewables. Reliability of supply is key While the threat of nuclear catastrophe loomed over the decision to wind down atomic energy, reliability of supply has since become the issue dominating the debate. The pro-nuclear camp argue that decarbonisation will drive demand for electricity. Transport and heating will have to run on electricity in order to achieve net zero by 2050. Population growth will also drive electricity consumpThe plan was to phase out Switzerland’s nuclear power plants, not replace them (pictured here: Beznau I and Beznau II). But the Federal Council has now had second thoughts. Photo: Keystone Energy Minister Albert Rösti announcing the change in atomic energy policy at a media conference in August 2024. Photos: Keystone sion was not as decisive as it could have been. If Fukushima had really caused people to question the safety of reactors, they should have moved to shut down the country’s nuclear operations much faster. As happened in Germany, for example. Switzerland opted for a pragmatic path, not least due to the public mood. The people would most likely not have approved any new nuclear plants in the aftermath of Fukushima. Energy minister and savvy tactician Rösti is now working to undo Leuthard’s move away from nuclear power. Rösti has always been a supporter of nuclear energy. On assuming the energy portfolio following his election to the Federal Council, he acquired the means to act on his convictions. However, being a smart operator, Rösti initially bided his time, making all the right noises about renewable energy and pouring cold water on a resumption of the nuclear power plant debate. It was at best a redundant discussion and possibly even counterproductive, he said in an interview with “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” in September 2023. He argued that a debate on new nuclear plants would torpedo efforts to expand the use of renewables. That was before the popular vote on the revised Electricity Supply Act, which lays the foundations for a major expansion of renewable energies. He did not want to jeopardise this bill by reviving the nuclear debate. Rösti’s tactic worked and the voters resoundingly backed the revised law – against opposition from Rösti’s own party, the SVP. Officially, the Federal Council decision is a counterproposal to the popular initiative “Stop the blackout”, which aims to lift the construction ban on nuclear power plants. The main backers of the initiative are the SVP, the FDP and Energie Club Schweiz. It is a disSwiss Review / December 2024 / No.6
The damaged Fukushima site (2011): the realisation that even an advanced technological nation like Japan couldn’t guarantee nuclear safety had a strong influence on public sentiment in Switzerland. Photo: Keystone The nuclear energy paradox: on the one hand, the people have said yes to phasing out atomic energy; on the other hand Switzerland operates the world’s oldest nuclear plant, Beznau I. Reactor operators doing inspection work in May 2024. Photo: Keystone their respective capacities. The new government in the Netherlands plans to start construction on four new nuclear plants as soon as possible. And nuclear power is still the main energy source in France. Dependency on Russia The plot grows thicker. More nuclear power plants would reduce the dependency on coal or gas-powered energy. Some of the gas used to power plants in Switzerland still comes from Russia, as does some of the uranium for the nuclear plants. According to energy foundation Schweizerische Energie-Stiftung (SES), which opposes nuclear energy, 45 per cent of nuclear power and 15 per cent of Switzerland’s entire energy are sourced from Russian uranium. At least 7.5 per cent of that comes from Russian state enterprise Rosatom. Efforts are underway in the EU to change this situation. However, dependency has increased over the short term. Imports of Russian uranium to EU member states have increased markedly since the start of the Ukraine war. Proponents of nuclear power also have something else in their favour besides the climate policy and geopolitical situation in Europe: Switzerland has finally located a site, Stadel in the canton of Zurich, where radioactive waste can be stored for good. The end storage site has not yet been finalised. However, the opposition in Stadel is considerably weaker than before as the storage site municipality and the canton have practically no more legal avenues to pursue in opposition to the siting ruling. The National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) will submit a planning application to the Confederation this year. But the devil is, as always, in the detail. The planned deep geological repository is only designed for waste from plants already in existence, as Nagra pointed out in a recent report. New nuclear power plants were not factored into the site’s capacity. The anti-nuclear camp has been quick to point out the inherent absurdity of the situation: a second end storage site would be needed for the radioactive waste from new nuclear plants, while the first storage site still awaits approval. The nuclear lobby argues that the deep geological repository at the planned site would simply have to be much larger than originally thought. Plans for a low waste reactor Geneva company Transmutex is working on something that adds credence to the nuclear lobby’s position. It is developing a nuclear plant that runs without uranium and significantly reduces the waste coming from the reactors. The technology is called transmutation and it involves the reactor burning thorium instead of uranium. Experts say transmutation would reduce the volume of longlived, highly radioactive waste by a factor of 100. Instead, it would yield more short-lived fission products, which are also highly radioactive and need to be stored in an end storage site for several centuries at least. In other words, Switzerland needs its repository come what may, although the storage duration would be much shorter for the Transmutex reactors. Still, for the time being the system only exists on paper. Nuclear experts anticipate it will be fit for construction from 2035. It would take much longer than that for a new nuclear plant to be connected to the Swiss grid. The Federal Council has in principle only decided to initiate its withdrawal from the previous withdrawal. The counterproposal will be submitted for consultation this year. The parliament will then Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 6 Focus
From Easter marches to opting out of nuclear energy Opposition to atomic energy goes back a long way in Switzerland. It started at the end of the 1950s and culminated in the electorate approving the energy transition several decades later. The first protesters were pacifists and churchgoers opposing the Federal Council’s call for the country to acquire nuclear weapons. The annual Easter marches spawned new types of protest. 1969 was something of a milestone with the entry into operation of Switzerland’s first nuclear power plant in Beznau (canton of Aargau) and the serious accident involving the Lucens reactor (canton of Vaud). This turned the opposition against atomic energy for peaceful purposes, albeit only to a limited extent initially. River water cooling was criticised for overheating the water, as was – by the landscape preservation lobby – the construction of cooling towers. Resistance initially arose in the Basel region against the construction of the Kaiseraugst nuclear plant. After failing to prevent the reactor’s construction by legal means, people started occupying the construction site. A mass rally in 1975 saw 15,000 people converge on the site. Taking the fight to the streets ultimately led to the abandonment of the Kaiseraugst project. Fierce opposition to nuclear power stations also emerged during the mid-1970s. A number of anti-atom initiatives were presented to the people but narrowly failed to pass at the ballot box. The non-nuclear camp did experience success in 1990 following the Chernobyl reactor accident, when the public voted for a ten-year moratorium on the construction of new nuclear plants. However, this was not long enough to bring about consensus on the nuclear energy issue. It was not until 2017 that 58 per cent of the electorate approved the phasing out of nuclear power and the energy transition. (CF) be able to advise on the matter from summer 2025. Even if the initiative is withdrawn, the last word will most likely remain with the electorate. The left may well call for a referendum against revoking the construction ban. A successful outcome at the ballotbox would just create the legal conditions for new reactors. A new project would have to complete the process to obtain a general licence as well as gaining approval for building and operation. Each step in the approval process could take up to four years, so it would take 10-12 years until construction could actually begin. For decades, demonstrations and Easter marches were part of the ongoing and impassioned debate about the pros and cons of nuclear power. Demonstration at the Gösgen (canton of Solothurn) plant on 25 January 1976. Photo: Keystone Financing is another major hurdle to nuclear plant construction. The major Swiss energy companies have pointed out that the construction and operation of a new nuclear plant are not profitable under current conditions. It is practically impossible to build new reactors in other countries without state support. The pro-nuclear camp knows this and is already looking at funding programmes for renewable energies. They argue that the people and economy pay over a billion francs into the programmes every year and are thus entitled to a secure energy supply. The funds support climate-friendly energy sources, such as water, wind and solar. Atomic energy should also benefit from this funding, argue conservative energy politicians, much to the chagrin of the left, which fought for these subsidies. The withdrawal from nuclear energy proved a protracted and laborious process. The construction of new nuclear plants, if it even happens, also looks like being far from straightforward. Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 7
Swiss sanctions decision sparks criticism Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Switzerland has more or less matched all of the European Union’s sanctions against Russia, not least to prevent itself from becoming a conduit for sanctions circumvention. The Federal Council made the first notable exception to this rule in October when it opted out of a measure requiring commodity traders to ensure that their foreign subsidiaries do not undermine the EU sanctions. The decision has sparked considerable criticism abroad, with the United States ambassador to Switzerland, Scott Miller, calling it “very disappointing” – which in itself shows that the Swiss policy of deciding on a case-by-case basis whether to adopt sanctions can have drawbacks. (MUL) Marianne Jenni succeeds David Grichting When it comes to representing the interests of the Swiss Abroad and providing Swiss consular services around the world, responsibility within the Federal Administration lies with the Consular Directorate (CD). The Federal Council has appointed Marianne Jenni as the CD’s new director general. Jenni, currently serving as the Swiss ambassador to Ecuador, will start in her new post on 1 January 2025. She has previously worked in places including Paris, Lagos, Rome, London, Baghdad and Cape Town. Jenni succeeds David Grichting, who has headed the CD since April 2023 but is now taking on a new role within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). (MUL) Basel to host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest Since Swiss singer Nemo won the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in the Swedish city of Malmö (see “Swiss Review” 4/2024), Switzerland has been locked in as the next ESC host. We now know that the 2025 competition will take place in Basel, watched by an expected worldwide audience of well over 100 million. Basel eventually got the nod ahead of Geneva. Berne and Zurich had also been in contention. None of the four bids enjoyed unanimous political support, due to moral concerns or the financial challenge of hosting the event. See also: www.revue.link/escbasel (MUL) A mountain changes shape There was a spectacular rockfall on the Grosses Tschingel- horn (2,849 m) this October, when some 100,000 m3 of debris broke off the side of the mountain, which is located on the border between the cantons of Glarus and Grisons. The summit ridge now looks very different. The event made headlines not least because this is one of the more photographed mountain silhouettes. Situated just below the summit ridge is a famous gap in the rock called Martinsloch. Twice a year, the rising sun shines through the Martinsloch opening for just a few minutes. People come from far and wide to witness the spectacle. (MUL) Xherdan Shaqiri He is like Odysseus returning home from his long voyage. Now that he is back in his home city of Basel, from Chicago, where he captained Fire FC, footballer Xherdan Shaqiri is once more planting his studs on home turf. The player has rejoined FC Basel, having first put on the team’s shirt in 2001, at the age of ten. This comeback comes in the wake of his retirement from the Swiss national team in July 2024. “He won the hearts of the Swiss and gave us some unforgettable moments, thanks to the magic of his touch and his goals,” in the words of Swiss football boss, Dominique Blanc. The footballer, born into a working-class family in Kosovo just before the disintegration of Yugoslavia, has received a number of nicknames from his fans over the years: XS, the Little Prince, Shaq... During the most recent European championship, the player, aged 33, gave the Swiss a performance to remember. Xherdan Shaqiri scored a blistering goal against Scotland. The player, who stands 1.70 m tall, ended his last competition in Swiss national colours by slamming the ball into the back of the net past English goalie Jordan Pickford, during a penalty shoot-out, in a match that Switzerland nonetheless ultimately lost. In Switzerland, football fans are now flocking to watch all of FC Basel’s matches. One such match was the September encounter with Stade Nyonnais, a team recently promoted to the Challenge League, who held their own against the great FC Basel. XS’s presence turned this Swiss Cup match into something of a national event attracting 4,000 spectators. It was the man himself, in the 123rd minute, who scored the winner for FC Basel! STÉPHANE HERZOG Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 8 Top pick News
9 LISA STALDER Planning to visit Switzerland soon and wondering what to take as a gift to your relatives? Unless you want to fall foul of customs, it is probably best not to pack any golden bamboo or large-leaved lupin seeds – two of the 30 or so plant species that have been banned in Switzerland since 1 September. This is according to the Swiss Release Ordinance, which governs the handling of invasive organisms, including non-native plant species, in the environment. The Federal Council revised the Release Ordinance last March, implementing a parliamentary motion. Why is the ban necessary? It is because some invasive plant species are proliferating out of control, posing a threat not only to biodiversity but to the environment and public health. Certain species are spreading so quickly that they are crowding out native plants and even causing structural damage to buildings. It has been possible to sell and import many of these plants until now. But not anymore. Popular plant also banned The new regulations affect some 30 plant species – from ornamental plants like butterfly bush, to kudzu, a fast-growing perennial vine native to Asia. One particular banned plant is the cherry laurel, which has become a popular addition to Swiss gardens. The cherry laurel is very convenient because it is easy to grow and has dense evergreen foliage that fills out rapidly and is good for privacy. It is also very hardy. The good news for anyone with a cherry laurel in their garden is that there is no need to dig your hedge up despite the ban. Anything that has already been planted can stay. In future, there will still be other ways to protect your property from prying eyes – garden and tree experts recommend alternatives like the Portuguese laurel or red-tip photinia. Many native shrubs also help to delineate gardens without screening them off entirely. Hawthorns, wayfaring trees, and barberry come to mind. Basel Carnival in danger? The crackdown was greeted with some consternation in Basel, because the list of banned species includes Acacia dealbata, or mimosa: a plant that is as synonymous with Basel Carnival as drums and piccolos. It is a well-known ritual to hand out ‘Mimöseli’ to the crowds lining the parade route. But Basel can breathe a sigh of relief. There is a ban on selling, importing and gifting potted mimosa or mimosa seeds, but the actual flowers can still be used provided they have been cut off without their roots. The next Basel Carnival will be the same as always. The cherry laurel can no longer enter Switzerland A ban on the import of around 30 invasive plant species – including popular plants like cherry laurel, butterfly bush and mimosa – came into force in Switzerland on 1 September. Its aim is to safeguard biodiversity and protect native species and habitats. List of banned plants The ban, which came into force on 1 September 2024, applies to the following plants: mimosa, bastard indigobush, Chinese mugwort, New York aster, water fern, paper mulberry, butterfly bush, Turkish warty cabbage, red osier, wall cotoneaster, wild cucumber/prickly cucumber, annual fleabane, goat’s rue, fowl mannagrass, vine honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, large-leaved lupin, Java waterdropwort/Japanese parsley, Virginia creeper/five-leaved ivy, princess tree, crimson fountaingrass, fishpole bamboo, cherry laurel, black cherry, arrow bamboo, Himalayan blackberry, Japanese wineberry, broadleaf arrowhead, Caucasian stonecrop, lesser-Caucasian stonecrop, Chinese windmill palm. Despite the ban on invasive species, yellow mimosa will continue to feature at Basel Carnival. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 News
JÜRG STEINER Martina Schmid (31) is a cow signal trainer. As she always has to point out when discussing her role, that has nothing to do with some sort of mysterious hocus pocus, the humanisation of animals or some unworldly romanticisation of farming life in the Swiss mountains. Quite the opposite, in fact. The welfare of cows is Schmid’s business. But she says she is always mindful of a farm’s business situation. She is also quick to dismiss the myth that ‘a high-yielding cow milked by robots can thrive.’ Martina Schmid’s chosen area of expertise emerged 25 years ago in the Netherlands. Her role in a nutshell is to recognise the signals sent by cows: are they apathetic or do they want to make contact? Are they standing instead of lying, which is what they would normally prefer to do? “You can often gain a lot from making small changes to how you work with the cows,” says Schmid. She does not see herself as an activist for animal welfare or as anything resembling a cow whisperer. Instead, she calls herself an advisor who applies her scientific know-how to communicate the needs of the cows and how best to keep them to their owners. Schmid’s own two feet are planted firmly on the ground of agricultural reality. Having trained as a nurse, she then went on to complete vocational agricultural training followed by a degree in agronomy. She now works for the cantonal agricultural department in Zug and on the family farm in Menzingen. She has also built up her own business, i.e. her advisory work and instruction in cow signals. Word of mouth is an effective marketing tool, says Schmid, as more farmers are requesting her services. The fact that there are hardly any other people with her know-how operating independently and free of product advertising also helps. There are people with the same expertise as Schmid; however, they tend to have an ulterior motive, i.e. to sell the farmers something. Schmid, by contrast, is solely interested in delivering presentations, training or giving advice and she is prepared to travel from central Switzerland to the French-speaking part of the country to do that. Demand from outside Switzerland for online sessions is also increasing, she tells us. How long does it take Martina Schmid to gauge the mood of the cows when she arrives at a farm? Before she enters the stall, she always takes the time to have a proper talk with the farmers who are in charge. She wants to know where any problem areas may be. Farmers in Switzerland are under a lot of pressure to be efficient (see “Cows have a close affinity with humans” Agronomist Martina Schmid specialises in interpreting cow signals. She is not a cow whisperer. Her rule of thumb: look after the cows properly, so both animal and farmer benefit. Martina Schmid understands our bovine friends, but a ‘cow whisperer’ she is not. Photo provided “Swiss Review” 4/2024). They have a high workload, often have to contend with lost income or unmanageable bureaucracy, not to mention personal issues, planning whom to leave the farm to, for example. “Cows have a close affinity with humans,” says Schmid. They react to whether the people who work with them in the stall everyday are upbeat or weighed down by worries. And it also works the other way round, she says: “If the cows are thriving, it also benefits the farmers.” And that includes financially: advice based on cow signals also has a pre-emptive effect, so the animals don’t need antibiotics when they fall ill. Cows usually feel at their best when they can behave the same way in the stall as they would when out in the fields. Regardless of whether they are in large cowsheds or tie-up stalls, both of which are allowed in Switzerland. The cow signalling trainer works on the basis of this fundamental principle. “If I see cows in the stall who are lying down and chewing the cud, that is a very positive sign in itself,” says Schmid. That after all is what they spend most of their time doing. One could say that cows love nothing more than a quiet and consistent routine without too much variety. Martina Schmid says that cows like to lie down for 14 hours a day and graze for seven hours. Two hours Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 10 Profile
are for milking, leaving some time for social contact. That more or less equates to an ideal day’s work for a cow. By the same token, that means when cows are standing when she enters the stall, or if they are unsettled with a rough coat or dry muzzle, “these are all signs that something is wrong,” says Schmid. Her job is to make suggestions as to how conditions in the stall could be improved to give the cows a better quality of life. “It is not trivial: the small things can make a big difference,” explains Schmid. The last thing she wants to do is suggest that the farmers make improvements for the cows and, in doing so, make their work more complicated and time-consuming. That just increases stress, which would in turn impact the cows’ well-being. When working with their cows, farmers perform individual actions again and again. If these actions suddenly become even slightly more cumbersome, it will take so much longer to do everything. That is why farmers who plan ahead involve Schmid to advise them when renovating or building new stalls. In older, narrow buildings it can be challenging but not impossible to find solutions. “It is just a fact that healthy, happy cows are more productive and give more milk,” says Schmid. So, a farmer could benefit from her input by perhaps keeping one cow less and saving effort without losing money. On average 20 cows are kept on each farm in Switzerland, which is small by international standards. It’s logical, says Schmid, that smaller farms often have a closer connection to each individual cow. However, that does not mean that her work revolves around cow welfare for average-sized farms by Swiss standards. Her customers also include large holdings, “which aim to get the best from their cows”. It’s very important for them to have healthy and productive cows: “Cows bred for milk production can really prosper if they have light and air and a nice spot to graze and lie down.” Technical innovations, which don’t really fit the traditional image of manual farm labour, can be good for cows. Take milking robots as an example, which enable the cows to decide when and how often they want to be milked during the day. There are cows that prefer to be milked three or four times a day rather than just two times, which is what farmers normally do. This helps them ease the burden on their udders and avoid the stress of having to wait for milking every day. At the same time, Martina Schmid is keen to stress that this doesn’t mean robots are suited to every stall. Observing the cows’ signals is what really matters. Cows that feel comfortable spend 70 percent of their time lying down. They don’t like excitement and change. Here a herd of cows in the Swiss Jura. Photo: Joseph Haas Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 11
STÉPHANE HERZOG There is a small island a stone’s throw from the shores of Lake Uri, the southernmost part of Lake Lucerne. On this gorgeous autumn day, we swim across to the little cluster of islands known as Lorelei. When we reach land, our feet touch a layer of moss of almost fluorescent green. The ground on which we are walking is actually a landfill site! The islets in question are man-made from by-products from the excavation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. Between 2001 and 2008, 27 million tonnes of granite, gneiss and limestone were dug out, one-tenth of which was used in the lake. The original plan was for all of it to end up in the lake, according to engineer Giovanni De Cesare, a hydrology specialist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). This solution – prohibited since 2011 – was abandoned, as another serious problem was emerging: this “Swiss Camargue” was at risk of disappearing, as its soil was being eroded by the current and the waves, and gravel was being dredged from the lakebed. The canton of Uri then took the unprecedented step of passing a law to preserve the Reuss Delta. The first step in the revitalisation process was to use diggers to scoop out a broader angle for the delta. The rescue campaign was thanks to Martin Jaeggi, a pioneering engineer (now retired) specialising in transporting solids down rivers. It was his idea to revitalise the delta using backfill from the Gotthard. A park for both people and animals Today, the location is a park where people and animals can roam and play. During the summer, thousands of visitors flock to the delta to top up their tans on the little islands. “The park is not reserved for bears,” jokes De Cesare. Only one section of the site, including the Neptune archipelago (which comprises three other islands), is off-limits to the public. Elsewhere in the park, barbecue enthusiasts can grill their sausages. There are even logs available for the fire, stored in purpose-built cabins. People out for a Sunday stroll can be spotted along the paths running through this lush, almost tropical place. You can also discover the reserve by bicycle. Birdwatchers have several hides to choose from, including one overlooking the entire delta. On the left bank of the Reuss, visitors can enjoy the dish of the day at the Seerestaurant for only 21 Swiss francs, including salad and a drink. “This establishment was opened thanks to a legal exemption,” says Rico Vanoli, general secretary of the municipality of Flüelen, the town on the right bank of the lake. The challenge for the Reuss Delta is to attempt to reconcile economic, social and environmental objectives. “If there had been no renaturing, the local farmers would have lost land to erosion, which had already encroached over 100 metres inland,” explains De Cesare. The farmers themselves are actually involved in helping to maintain the reserve, as they let their Highland cattle graze on invasive species of plant. Then, there is industry. Since 1905, the Arnold quarry workers have been extracting the silt borne downstream by the Reuss. It now forms part of the project’s economic cycle, Vanoli says, by paying a concession to the canton. Its remit is to create islands and shallows in the middle of the delta. This achieves two goals: it protects the delta against erosion and provides a The Reuss Delta, where nature and the economy exist in harmony The Reuss Delta, south of Lake Lucerne, used to be dying. It has now been given a new lease of life using rubble from the Gotthard Base Tunnel. This pioneering project has enabled the creation of islands and shallows conducive to animal and plant life. habitat for animals. Granted, the Arnold machines digging up the lakebed in the port town of Flüelen do make a bit of noise. In addition, the delta is accessible solely via the shores of the lake, as the company prevents anyone accessing the reserve directly. This is a pity, but the trade-off is that the firm employs 45 people, some of whom live in the town. “The company is appreciated and accepted here,” says the municipality’s general secretary. New shallows for fish This autumn, Seeschüttung, the organisation spearheading this operation on behalf of the canton of Uri, launched the latest phase of renaturing the Reuss. This work, performed by barges operated by Arnold, is intended to create new shallows close to the banks of the lake. These seven-hectare shallows are being created using 4.9 million cubic metres of material taken from the new tunnel at the Gotthard and the work on the Axenstrasse road connecting Brunnen (Schwyz) to Flüelen (Uri). The project will cost 62 million francs and is being fully financed by the two materials suppliers, the Confederation and the cantons of Schwyz and Uri. The shallows will be no more than ten metres deep, so as to allow light to reach the bottom. The end result will resemble how the site used to look prior to industrial gravel mining. Above all, this new sublacustrine land will protect the delta against erosion. On the other hand, there is a risk of it damaging the lakebed. “The operation may affect aquatic life, but the pros and cons of each procedure are weighed up against each other,” says De Cesare. The clean-up of the Reuss Delta is scheduled for completion by 2029. Observations are already showThe Reuss flows into Lake Uri, as the southern finger of Lake Lucerne is called. Map: Landestopo Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 12 Nature and the environment
ing that the project is bearing fruit. The Reuss has got its meanders back, and the return of nature has benefited both plant and animal life. The delta boasts around 500 different species of plant. These include rare or protected species like marsh gentian, the subterranean clover and the Siberian iris. The wetlands are also home to reptiles. The marsh beds have been colonised by mussels and snails. Around 225 species of bird nest or stop over in this oasis. In the water itself, 30 species of fish have been identified, including river lampreys and lake trout, both highly endangered. Great diversity of wildlife The wildlife in the delta is drawing in many nature-lovers, says Bruno Imhof, the former sacristan at Altdorf and a visitor to the delta for 25 years. He has spotted some extremely rare birds here. In May 2023, he tells us, he saw a cattle egret, a migratory wader from Africa listed as endangered. In April of this year, he came across a damp, exhausted hoopoe on one of the islands of Lorelei. “It stayed on the island for three days to get its strength back,” says the Uri native, who is nonetheless concerned about the excessive numbers of visitors in summer. Renaturing has restored the delta to its historic role. As for the Reuss’s legendary floods, they will not destroy the delta, “since it will function as a submersible dam”, Giovanni De Cesare explains. A bit like the fable of the oak and the willow. Excavated material has been used to restore the Reuss delta, creating new habitats for plants and wildlife – as well as recreational space for people. Barges are now offloading the same material to create new shallow-water zones that are of particular benefit to fish. Photos: Keystone, Stéphane Herzog, seeschuettung.ch www.seeschuettung.ch www.reussdelta.ch 13
THEODORA PETER Fields and meadows as far as the eye can see. When there are no clouds, the Pyrenees appear on the distant horizon. It was here, in Gascony, a thousand kilometres from Switzerland, that farming couple Stephanie und Ruedi Baumann created their own ecological paradise on a remote farm. They left their organic farm in Suberg in the canton of Berne to their younger son Kilian in the early noughties. As a smallholder and National Councillor for the Greens, he has taken over his parents’ farm and political campaigning. Stephanie and Ruedi Baumann came to national prominence in the 1990s as the first married couple in the Swiss Parliament. She was a social democrat committed to social justice; he was a dyed-in-the-wool member of the Greens, which squared up to the powerful agricultural lobby. The older son Simon chose another path: he was much more interested in music and art than agriculture and politics: “Filmmaking allowed me to keep a certain distance while still staying close to my parents.” The 45-year-old had been mulling over the idea of making a film about inheriting ever since he became a father nine years ago. “My partner and I asked ourselves what values and outlooks we would pass on to our own children,” the film director told “Swiss Review”. His film idea waited patiently until Baumann’s parents – who are now 73 and 77 years old – wanted to talk to their sons about the future of their farm in France. “I said: okay, let’s talk, but I’ll make a film about it.” Simon Baumann packed his camera and sound equipment and paid several visits to his parents to film them going about their daily routine while working at home and on the farm. He repeatedly contrasted their perception with his own view. As the camera moves over the land, the author comments in the background: “I see arable land, loneliness and boredom. My parents see biodiversity, ecological hedges and pesticide-free soil.” “We need to talk”: about inheritance and what it entails On finishing their political careers in Switzerland, Stephanie and Ruedi Baumann moved to France over 20 years ago to live their dream of working the land and being close to nature. Now it’s up to the sons to take over their parents’ life work. But do they really want to? In the documentary film “We, the Inheritors”, their son and film director Simon Baumann examines how inheriting can mean different things to different people. “We, the Inheritors” is very much a personal account, but it raises universal questions: what shapes us and how? How do we deal with expectations? And how fair is it to inherit property? The author invites the audience to take part in the family discussions on what is to happen with the property in France if the parents are one day no longer able to run it. While the father Ruedi wants the farm to stay in the family, his son Simon sees this as a burden. And he asks himself fundamental questions in the film: “I have inherited property and a sense of justice from my parents. But the two things aren’t compatible. Where is the justice if I inherit property and others do not?” This dilemma remains unresolved and is the key theme of the film. Simon wants to launch a debate with his production. “If we had more transparency on who owns land and who can afford land in Switzerland in the first place, people would also talk more about justice.” Simon Baumann also shares extensive background information on his family in “We, the Inheritors”. He talks about how his parents developed their own identities and – as part of the 1968 generation – were able to break free of middle-class convention. Labourer’s daughter Stephanie Bieri and farmer’s son Ruedi Baumann married in secret in 1974 – “a traditional wedding would have been too bourgeois for them” – and hitchhiked all the way to Africa without any money. Two young people who wanted to change the world while also progressing professionally and in society: “Doors opened for them that had been closed to their forebears.” As a child, Simon experienced mixed feelings as he watched his parent’s political careers unfold, first in the cantonal parliament, then in the National Council: “I was ashamed for them, in awe of them, and suffered with them.” The Baumanns retired from politics when they moved to France in the early noughties. They are still critical of Switzerland, as they reStephanie and Ruedi Baumann have lived in the south of France for more than 20 years. Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 14 Culture
Ruedi Baumann – pictured in his workshop – wants the farm to stay in the family. The remote farm in Gascony is not suitable for the elderly. “We, the Inheritors” is very much a personal account, but it raises universal questions: what shapes us and how? How do we deal with expectations? Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 15
“Help, I’m inheriting!” We are what we are born into and that is what helps determine whether we live on the right or the wrong side of the tracks. Whatever we inherit, whether money, genes or values, it can be a blessing or a curse, a privilege or a burden. And it can trigger a feeling of deep association or the desire to make a clean break from the past. The “Hilfe, ich erbe!” (Help, I’m inheriting!) exhibition in the Generationenhaus in Berne addresses the different aspects of dealing with a legacy and invites the public to look at their own roots and defining features. There are also a number of video portraits shot for the exhibition by filmmaker Simon Baumann. The exhibition in the Generationenhaus Berne runs until 26 October 2025. www.begh.ch/erben vealed when talking to “Swiss Review”. “I’d like to see Switzerland play an active role in solving problems within Europe instead of seeking to profit from it,” says Ruedi Baumann. Stephanie Baumann also believes Switzerland should “fulfil a role in the world instead of cutting itself off”. They feel well integrated in France, where they were both naturalised after five years’ residence. They were welcomed to the village with open arms – and then wondered “whether new arrivals to Switzerland would also be made to feel so welcome”. The two Swiss Abroad have made many friendships over the years. At the same time, growing old has seen illness and death visit their social circle. The matter of their own future is becoming more pressing – and it weighs on Stephanie Baumann: “What would happen if one of us were to fall ill or to require care?” The isolated farm, accessible only by car, is not really made for older people: “When we lose our mobility, we won’t be able to live here anymore.” Maybe the Baumanns will return to Switzerland to be near their sons and five grandchildren. And they’ll think of something for the farm. “We, the Inheritors” will screen in Swiss cinemas from January 2025. www.wirerben.ch Stephanie Baumann is worried about the future: “What would happen if one of us were to fall ill or to require care?” Where to grow old? The Baumanns are thinking of returning to Switzerland – pictured here visiting an apartment. “Filmmaking allowed me to keep a certain distance while still staying close to my parents.” Film director Simon Baumann Simon Baumann (*1979) studied media art and works as a freelance filmmaker and producer. He lives with his family in Suberg in the canton of Berne. Picture credits for all pictures: Ton und Bild GmbH Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 16 Culture
Figures: happy or otherwise 40,000 A round of applause for Switzerland’s latest supercomputer inaugurated in Lugano in September. It is called Alps and is one of the fastest computers in the world. Alps can perform calculations in one day that would take a regular laptop about 40,000 years to process. It will be used for weather and climate forecasts. 71 The number of carefree people in Switzerland has fallen significantly compared to last year. That is the conclusion of an SRG survey. It documents growing fear of loss. Some 71 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement, “Our carefree days are behind us.” And only 26 per cent thought that children growing up in Switzerland today have fewer worries than any generation before them. Source: SRG 18,000 Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) is familiar with the temporary happiness experienced by dog and cat owners, but it has also become aware of a “worrying situation” regarding fish. Fish have become the country’s most discarded pet. About 18,000 were handed in to SAP shelters. Source: SAP animal protection statistics 1,006 The weather was on their side at the end of August when 1,006 alphorn players gathered on the Klewenalp mountainside to play “Uf de Bänklialp” by Jost Aregger. The reason for the serenade was to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest alphorn ensemble. The huge group played for five minutes and entered the record books in style. 31,000 Pets make people happy, but often only temporarily. This has not gone unnoticed by the Swiss Animal Protection (SAP) shelters. In 2023, 31,000 dogs, cats and other domestic pets were delivered to SAP shelters and rehomed whenever possible. Source: SAP animal protection statistics 1 The apron or “Roi du Doubs”, zingel asper, is an exceedingly rare fish that can only be found in the Doubs river. The Confederation and nature conservation organisations had almost despaired of ever finding one despite their best efforts, and then... 1 apron was found. According to the prevailing wisdom, that is not enough to breed the fish and return them to the wild. FIGURES COMPILED BY MARC LETTAU Imprint “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 50th year of publication and is published five times a year, in 13 regional editions, in German, French, English and Spanish. It has a total circulation of 469,000, including 299,000 electronic copies. All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30 / Abroad: CHF 50). ONLINE EDITION www.revue.ch EDITORS Marc Lettau, Editor-in-Chief (MUL) Stéphane Herzog (SH) Theodora Peter (TP) Susanne Wenger (SWE) Amandine Madziel, FDFA representative (AM) FDFA OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS The editorial responsibility for the “Notes from the Federal Palace” section is assumed by the Consular Directorate, Innovation and Partnerships, Effingerstrasse 27, 3003 Berne, Switzerland. kdip@eda.admin.ch | www.eda.admin.ch ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Airpage AG, Uster/Zurich furrer@airpage.ch | www.airpage.ch The ordering parties are fully responsible for the content of advertisements and promotional inserts. This content does not necessarily represent the opinion of either the editorial office or the publisher. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nema Bliggenstorfer (NB) TRANSLATION SwissGlobal Language Services AG, Baden LAYOUT Joseph Haas, Zurich PRINT Vogt-Schild Druck AG, Derendingen PUBLISHER The “Swiss Review” is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. The postal address of the publisher and the editorial office is: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne. revue@swisscommunity.org Phone: +41 31 356 61 10 Bank details: CH97 0079 0016 1294 4609 8 / KBBECH22 COPY DEADLINE FOR THIS EDITION 1 November 2024 CHANGES OF ADDRESS Please advise your local embassy or consulate. The editorial team cannot access your address and administrative data. Thank you. Swiss Review / December 2024 / No.6 17 Switzerland in figures
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx