JANUARY 2025 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad No snow – Switzerland’s winter wonderland is melting A newspaper in the Bernese countryside is bucking the decline in local journalism The political climate turns frostier for the Swiss Abroad
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 JANUARY 2025 The magazine for the Swiss Abroad No snow – Switzerland’s winter wonderland is melting A newspaper in Huttwil is bucking the decline in local journalism The political climate turns frostier for the Swiss Abroad Save the Dates! Join us in these iconic venues in the heart of the Swiss capital to discuss and exchange on topics that matter to you. 22 August 2025 – Kursaal Bern 23 August 2025 – National Council chamber Days Our partners: © www.pexels.com Consular services anywhere, conveniently on your mobile devices www.fdfa.admin.ch Bucharest (2022) © www.pexels.com
It was like some surreal winter’s tale: during the night from 21 to 22 November, Switzerland suddenly found itself covered in deep snow. Many places practically came to a standstill. Lucerne had 42 centimetres of snow, outstripping the 1919 record with room to spare. In Berne, the traffic chaos prompted some quick-thinking travellers to snowboard down from the main station to the Monbijou area. The snowboarding conditions were ideal: new snow, and a piste in good condition. The early snowfall – and the enormous quantities of it – revived memories of winters long past. However, the journey down a snowy memory lane proved brief, as the snow melted almost as suddenly as it arrived. The early winter days ultimately reverted to type, at least for the lower lying parts of the country: countless shades of grey rain and wet green. The stark contrast brought home that winter is changing. The picturesque postcard image of winter in Switzerland is being increasingly consigned to the past – or a scene embellished with artificial snow. The change is being felt most acutely in the ski resorts. Many of the lowerlying ski lifts have had to be decommissioned in recent years. The winters have simply become too warm. The idea of skiing as a national sport that anyone can enjoy practically on their doorstep has become somewhat passé, as our Focus article shows (page 4). Winters may be getting warmer, but for some people life is set to get harder. The Swiss parliament passed radical spending cuts in December (page 9). Their consequences are far-reaching, particularly for the most vulnerable: Switzerland has made massive cuts to its development aid. The outlook isn’t exactly rosy for the Swiss Abroad either, at least not if they have any specific expectations of their home country. Parliament is also cutting benefits for the Fifth Switzerland. A survey we conducted in the Federal Palace shows that political sentiment towards the Fifth Switzerland is cooling. You can find out more on page 28. You are also most welcome to share your own opinions. MARC LETTAU, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 4 Focus Switzerland’s ski resorts hit by a lack of snow 9 News Cost-cutting measures divide opinion in parliament 10 Profile Practising an old craft – the weaver from Basel 12 Politics Voters reject motorway expansion plan 16 Society Local journalism is in crisis, but a small newspaper is fighting back News from your region 19 Switzerland in figures Money, money, money 20 Report Basel – the Swiss city with the highest proportion of one-person households 23 Literature Johann Jakob Bachofen made a case for female emancipation – in 1861 28 Fifth Switzerland A harsher political climate for the Swiss Abroad 30 Notes from the Federal Palace The Federal Audit Office’s work also relates to the Swiss Abroad 33 SwissCommunity news Not long to go before the 2025 Council of the Swiss Abroad elections The day the snow returned Cover photo: Winter fun in the Swiss Alps (Weisshorn, 2,653 metres above sea level). Photo: Keystone “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the Fifth Switzerland, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 3 Editorial Contents
THEODORA PETER Ski lifts on your local Swiss hill will soon be a thing of the past. Take Langenbruck. Situated 700 metres above sea level in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, the village’s 73-year-old ski lift faces closure because snow is becoming increasingly rare. The lifts, which take skiers and snowboarders to an altitude of 900 metres, remained shut over the past two winters. Countless children and teenagers made their first tentative turns on the slopes above Langenbruck. One of them was the now 74-year-old architect Peter Hammer, who now runs the lifts. Hammer’s father was one of those who helped to open the facility in 1952, making Langenbruck the first-ever winter sports destination in northNo more winter snow Switzerland is finding it harder to sell itself as a picture-perfect winter destination. Its highest ski resorts are increasingly the only places offering decent snow. The national pastime of Alpine skiing, still much loved, is becoming ever more expensive. Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 4 Focus
5 besides the lack of snow – according to a study by the Technical University of Dortmund. Not all the abandoned ski resorts have been dismantled. Rust-covered drag lifts, broken gondolas and abandoned mountain restaurants tell of what used to be. Their operators have gone bankrupt, leaving behind a derelict infrastructure as well as debt. Warmer winters Rising temperatures will also become a big challenge for resorts at higher altitudes in the coming decades. On Winters in Switzerland are now 2.4°C warmer than they were in the mid-19th century. Temperatures are likely to have climbed another degree by 2050. Ski areas below 1,500 metres will then be virtually without snow. non in 1978. Floodlit skiing was also popular, giving local snow worshippers the chance to cut shapes on the slopes after work. But mild winters without snow became more common at the beginning of the 1990s. “No one really talked much about climate change back then, but we could sense something was happening,” Hammer told “Swiss Review”. Closure of 230 ski resorts The number of days on which the pistes were open then dwindled – “from 20 to zero”. Hammer is hoping for a good final season. If Langenbruck is unable to attract a buyer, the definitive curtain call will come in spring 2025. The most galling thing for Hammer is that the lifts are “still in good condition” – and actually licensed to operate until 2031. He wistfully recalls past decades. “Entire families and generations grew up here on the ski slopes.” Langenbruck is one of many snow resorts to have thrown in the towel. Of Switzerland’s original 545 ski resorts and slopes, some 230 – or 40 per cent – have disappeared. Waning interest in winter sport as well as low profitability have also contributed to lift closures – western Switzerland. As a child, young Peter used to help out at the ski lifts in his free time. He has continued to work there ever since. “Seeing people happy is my motivation,” he says. Skiing boomed well into the 1980s in Langenbruck, which is situated only 30 kilometres from the city of Basel as the crow flies. There was still plenty of snow back then, not least thanks to the introduction of an artificial snow canSkiing down into the valley often requires artificial snow. The piste going down to Flims (1,000 metres above sea level) in Grisons, Christmas 2022 Photo: Keystone The time has come for Peter Hammer to close his Langenbruck ski lift. When it opened in 1952 (picture on the right), there was no shortage of snow. Photo: Volksstimme Sissach, Keystone Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1
behalf of ski lift operators and the Swiss national tourist board, climate scientists at ETH Zurich have produced forecasts for winters up until the 2050s. They say that the lack of snow in all ski areas below 1,500 metres will be increasingly acute. Winters in Switzerland are now 2.4°C warmer than when records began in 1864, says the ETH Zurich climate researcher Reto Knutti. “We expect a further increment of one degree Celsius by 2050.” Depending on CO2 emissions, the figure could change by one or more tenths of a degree – with corresponding knock-on effects. If winter temperatures increase by 1°C as forecast, the zero-degree limit – the altitude at which the temperature in Celsius drops to freezing – will be 300 metres higher than it is now. The zero-degree limit is a key indicator for winter tourists, indicating the altitude at which rain turns to snow. It has already risen by 300 to 400 metres since the 1960s, spelling the end for low-lying ski lifts. Pistes below 1,800 metres will soon be in danger, says Knutti. These areas are also finding it hard to produce artificial snow, because snow cannons only work at temperatures below 0°C. And the number of sub-zero days will fall by 10 to 30 per cent depending on altitude, the climate forecasts say. “It will be too warm for snow cannons, particularly in early winter from mid-November to mid-December.” Even more artificial snow Many winter tourist destinations in the Alps are located above the already critical 1,500-metre threshold. Yet even they have had to adapt their strategies to climate change. Of 100 ski lift operators surveyed by the University of St Gallen, over 75 per cent are expecting less snow and shorter ski seasons in the next 20 years. Nevertheless, most believe that skiing and snowboarding will remain popular in future, which is why they are investing even more in cannons that will pump out large amounts of artificial snow in a short space of time. Ski pistes will be relocated upwards, wherever feasible, incorporating additional ski lifts built higher up the mountain. These plans cost money. Millions of Swiss francs, to be precise. In some cases, foreign investors have come to inject the necessary capital. Two years ago, for example, US company Vail Resorts acquired a majority stake in Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG, which controls and operates the Andermatt-Sedrun mountain resort situated on the cantonal border between Uri and Switzerland, the skiing nation “Alles fährt Ski... alles fährt Ski... Ski fährt die ganze Nation” – Vico Torriani’s 1963 hit was the sound track to the ski boom that reached its zenith in the 1960s and 1970s. Nearly everyone seemed to ski in Switzerland back then, thanks to a plethora of ski lifts around the country, not least on minor hillsides. The nearest drag lift was never far away, and almost every schoolchild regularly attended ski camp. The “golden days of Sapporo”, when Switzerland won 10 medals at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan, has pride of place in Swiss ski folklore. Bernhard Russi and Roland Collombin finished first and second in the men’s downhill, while Marie-Theres Nadig won two golds. Switzerland was a skiing nation. Winter sport – making the nation “fit for defence” In Switzerland, it was mountaineers who first discovered skis as a useful tool for their expeditions, writes sport historian Simon Engel in a blog for the Swiss National Museum. Switzerland’s first-ever ski club was formed in Glarus in 1893, while the Swiss-Ski Association was established in 1904. At first, skiing was largely the preserve of well-heeled tourists. Sporty upper-class Brits organised races in which the objective was to descend the slope as quickly as possible. Unlike the Scandinavians, they regarded skiing as “downhill only”. According to Engel, skiing’s “nationalisation” as a popular Swiss sport owed much to the two world wars that brought international tourism to a standstill. To get more Swiss out on the slopes, the federal government and cantons ploughed money into rescuing hotels and mountain railways as well as subsidising ski passes and ski courses. The 1940s saw the first cantons introducing the concept of an annual school break dedicated to winter sport. The armed forces also played a role. During the Second World War, General Guisan popularised the notion that the mountains and skiing provided young people with the ideal arena in which to develop the physical and moral strength needed for the country’s defence. This concerted propaganda campaign served its purpose, attracting domestic tourists to Switzerland’s ski resorts. (TP) Swiss National Museum blog: www.revue.link/skiing Looking back to the “golden days of Sapporo”: Swiss downhill Olympic skiing champion Bernhard Russi (no. 4) and Swiss Olympic number two Roland Collombin (no. 11) being carried by fans at the 1972 Winter Olympics. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 6 Focus
up to 1,000 francs a round, he argues. Tourism expert Jürg Stettler from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts does not expect prices to be as exorbitant everywhere, but believes many Swiss will wonder whether winter sport is still worth the money. “Skiing is no longer the national pastime it was 40 years ago,” he told Radio SRF. About one third of the population still practises winter sport. “But people are heading to the pistes less often than they used to.” For families in particular, winter sport is becoming an unaffordable luxury. If you have two children, the cost of a week’s ski holiday soon adds up to several thousand francs. Ski camps – a dying tradition Learning to ski has also become less of a priority at school. Annual ski Grisons. The US ski giant, which owns and operates over 40 ski areas worldwide, also bought the Valais resort of Crans-Montana in 2024. In both Andermatt-Sedrun and Crans-Montana, Vail Resorts wants to invest a total of around 50 million francs in improving infrastructure such as snow cannons, ski lifts, and restaurants. The idea is that other investors will then step in and build their own hotels and holiday complexes at these resorts, attracting wealthy guests in the process. From national pastime to luxury activity Other ski resorts are also investing heavily in their infrastructure. Not only has this bumped up energy costs, but visitors now have to pay more to use the ski lifts. Depending on the size of the resort, a day’s skiing or snowboarding costs between 40 and 90 francs for an adult. Some lift operators employ dynamic pricing, which involves adjusting prices based on real-time market demand. Hence, the price of a single-day ski pass can sometimes exceed 100 francs in places like St Moritz, Zermatt or snowboarding mecca Laax. Laax CEO Reto Gurtner caused a stir last autumn when he said that prices had not yet reached their peak. “In ten years’ time, a day pass in Laax will cost between 200 and 300 francs.” Gurtner believes that resorts offering guaranteed snow will continue to grow in popularity – and enough tourists will be willing to cough up for the privilege. Golfers are already happy to pay camps were a staple of the curriculum in the 1970s but are now less common than they were. The current curriculum for German-speaking Switzerland merely sets the objective of children being able to move “on sliding equipment”, which can also mean ice skates. Youth+Sport, the federal government scheme to promote sport, subsidises winter sports camps that attract around 100,000 young people every year. Industry stakeholders also launched the Swiss Snow Sports Initiative in 2014 to attract more children and teenagers to the slopes, with the GoSnow website (gosnow.ch) offering schools and teachers inexpensive winter sports camp packages as well as a diverse range of instructional material. This winter, the platform is organising around 400 camps for over 18,000 participants. Former ski racer Fränzi Aufdenblatten, who chairs the initiative, says skiing is not only a sport but a part of Swiss culture. She cannot imagine children growing up in Switzerland and not going skiing at least once in their life. “That would be like living in Hawaii but never standing on a surfboard.” Snow cannons only work at icy temperatures of below 0°C. Photo: Keystone The future of the Crans-Montana ski resort is secure due to foreign investment: the Valais ski area was purchased by US conglomerate Vail Resorts in 2024. Photo: Keystone 7
Female retirement age rise gets the green light No turning back now – the female retirement age in Switzerland is to rise in stages from 64 to 65. The electorate voted for the change two years ago, narrowly endorsing a comprehensive reform of the old-age and survivors’ insurance (OASI) scheme that incorporated the increase. The only snag was that the Federal Council had given an overly gloomy assessment of the financial state of OASI, later admitting it had miscalculated its projections. The Green Party and the women’s wing of the SP consequently went to the Federal Supreme Court (FSC) to demand that the vote be declared null and void. But the FSC dismissed the case on 12 December 2024. It criticised the blunder but concluded that any annulment would undermine the rule of law. (MUL) “Zürcher*innen” still allowed in Zurich Gender-inclusive language is a tricky issue for German speakers. It is fair to say that not everyone is a fan of the gender-neutral “gender star” (as in “Zürcher*innen” to denote a person or persons from Zurich). The slightly more discreet colon (as in “Schweizer:innen”/Swiss) is now quite popular; “Swiss Review” has been using it for the last four years. The capital “I” (as in “AusländerInnen”/foreigner(s)), common for a good while, is on the decline, which is why the city of Zurich discarded it in favour of the gender star in 2022. Campaigners subsequently launched a popular initiative demanding that the city of Zurich be prohibited from using the gender star. But in Switzerland’s first-ever plebiscite on gender-inclusive language, voters emphatically rejected the proposal on 27 November 2024. “Zürcher*innen” is still allowed. (MUL) Basel gives ESC 2025 the thumbs up. This year’s Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), the world’s largest live music event, is to go ahead in Basel as planned. The ultra-conservative Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU) initiated a referendum to try to prevent the ESC from taking place, labelling the competition a satanic, immoral and unjustifiably expensive “freak show”. Basel will spend 35 million Swiss francs in taxpayer money on hosting the event. The city canton’s electorate disagreed with the EDU, with a clear majority of voters approving the funding plans on 24 November. See also: www.revue.link/ escbasel. (MUL) Opposition to the 30 km/h speed limit Our online edition of the magazine offers additional content. For example, read more about why cutting the road speed limit in Switzerland’s built-up areas continues to divide opinion: www.revue.link/speed30 (MUL) Laurent Debrot In the book “The Little Prince”, there is a man who lights and puts out his lamp every minute. Is it just as absurd for every road in Switzerland to be lit up at night? Yes, says Laurent Debrot from the canton of Neuchâtel. Debrot, a retired organic farmer, campaigned to have the lights switched off in his home municipality of Val-deRuz. It took a while for everyone to acquiesce, but street lights in the villages of Val-de-Ruz are now turned off between midnight and 4.45 a.m. This makes Val-de-Ruz the first municipality in Switzerland to remain dark at night. Darkness is good for both animals and humans, returning the night to its natural state. Neuchâtel’s other municipalities have since followed suit. Street lights throughout the canton have been switched off from midnight since 2022. Laurent Debrot, a former Green member of Neuchâtel’s cantonal parliament, backed up his campaign with facts. In 2017, he measured the light intensity at a pedestrian crossing situated in front of the local cantonal driver and vehicle licensing office in Malvilliers. “The crossing is rarely ever used during the day, and the people in the offices opposite clock off by late afternoon anyway,” he said. “You wonder what the point of these street lights was in the first place.” While touring Val-de-Ruz with a group of journalists, Debrot complained that the crossing had been exempted from the new night-time ruling. “It defeats the object.” The matter has since been resolved. In Le Locle, for example, every street light is now turned off, zebra crossings included. Debrot is happy because he thinks street lights at pedestrian crossings can cause more danger by lulling pedestrians into a false sense of security. He recently conducted a survey among the inhabitants of Le Locle and was pleased with the result. “The reaction has been positive.” STÉPHANE HERZOG Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 8 Top pick News
wants to make it three years sooner. The outcome was 530 million francs more for defence in this year’s budget than the Federal Council had envisaged, a total of 6.3 billion. Bleak financial outlook The conservative majority in the National Council initially wanted to cut 250 million francs, almost half of the additional funds earmarked for the armed forces, from international cooperation. Even the frugal Minister of Finance Karin Keller-Sutter warned that such a drastic reduction would jeopardise development aid projects. The Council of States brought the sum down to 30 million and stood firm on offsetting the extra defence expenditure due to the debt brake and bleak financial outlook. Both chambers agreed on a compromise to offset the difference: a 110 million franc cut in international cooperation. Additional cuts are also planned in other areas, including federal staff. Calls to generate additional revenue in addition to making budget cuts were rejected. The conservative parties SVP, FDP and the Centre were in favour of the 2025 budget; the centre-left parties, namely the SP and Greens were against. In February, the next round of the fiscal controversy will start. There are pending structural deficits from 2027, which is why the Swiss government will send a restructuring package for the federal budget for consultation, based on proposals by an expert group. 9 SUSANNE WENGER Shortly before Christmas, the federal budget was finalised for 2025. It envisages expenditure of 86.5 billion Swiss francs and revenue of 85.7 billion. The debt brake in the constitution allows this shortfall for economic reasons. Three weeks of wrangling between the National Council and the Council of States preceded the final outcome. One particularly thorny issue was determining by how much to finance the increase in defence expenditure through cuts to international cooperation, i.e. development aid, contributions to multilateral organisations and economic cooperation. The debate also centred on Switzerland’s role in an uncertain world (see quotes). The majority position is to increase the defence budget to 1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). There was disagreement over the timeline: the federal government is looking at 2035, but parliament More money for defence, less for foreign aid Funding for the Swiss armed forces is being increased, partly financed by cuts to international cooperation. That was the outcome of the winter session of parliament following some heated and drawn-out debate. Parliament is pushing for the rapid build-up of the country’s military. Pictured here: a fighter jet lands on the motorway near Payerne (Vaud) on 5 June 2024 as part of an air force exercise. Photo: Keystone Voices from the debate “We have been sending billions of tax money abroad for decades. After the Berlin wall came down, this parliament assumed the peace would last for ever. That has come back to bite us.” LARS GUGGISBERG (SVP/BE) “We can’t just allocate an extra half a billion francs to the armed forces without knowing what the money will be used for.” TAMARA FUNICIELLO (SP/BE) “The peace dividend has been spent abroad in past years. Now Switzerland’s first priority is to get its own house in order.” PETER SCHILLIGER (FDP/LU) “It’s wrong to add half a billion to the defence budget and jeopardise Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition at the same time.” CORINA GREDIG (GLP/ZH) “For a small, neutral country like Switzerland, a global policy of peace is the best security policy; it’s irresponsible to neglect that. GERHARD ANDREY (THE GREENS/FR) “Look at what’s going in the world. The debt crisis is everywhere. Financially challenged states are also militarily challenged. The importance of the debt brake cannot be overstated.” BENEDIKT WÜRTH (THE CENTRE/SG Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 News
GERLIND MARTIN Isabel Bürgin has been plying her craft ever since she began training to become a textile designer and hand weaver in 1981. Her bright, highceilinged workshop in a rear building located in the Klybeck district of Basel has been well used in the past. Bürgin’s grandfather and an uncle of hers used to run a confectionery business there. Confectionery and weaving are traditional crafts, says Bürgin. “I am continuing the family tradition.” Her workshop contains three looms and also acts as an office and showroom. Visitors can come and see and feel her colourful rugs, blankets and scarves for themselves. And Bürgin can talk to her customers face to face. She would never sit in a shop and wait for people to walk in. No, she has to work and move at the same time. “I love walking.” Bürgin wanted to become a dancer when she was younger. She has an agile physique. Her daily walks are a form of stimulation. “It could be a noise. Or a woman might pass me with an interesting colour combination on her clothes. Or it could be nature itself. Or the light. Inspiration can’t just be plucked like an apple from a tree. But you need to be receptive to it.” Bürgin creates her designs at the loom. She tries out different patterns and experiments with colours and yarns, constantly checking, discarding and changing. She gradually comes up with a blueprint that she can refine on her computer. “My ideas come from doing,” she explains. “And I translate my ideas into pictures.” Fascinating – but too difficult Isabel Bürgin learned how to weave in her textiles class at the Basel School of Design. However, she initially had trouble understanding the technical ins and outs. “It was fascinating, but I couldn’t get my head around it.” Everything changed when she and her five fellow students managed to get the curriculum reorganised into teaching blocks. This gave her the time she needed to focus on every element of the course. Bürgin gained a better grasp of the subject and was able to conceptualise what she was doing. “I was smitten. I finally understood textiles.” Bürgin explored the following question in her thesis: how would I like a tactile walkway to feel if I were Isabel Bürgin – a weaver inspired by her craft Weaving is one of the oldest forms of textile production. There are several hundred practising weavers in Switzerland. One of them is Isabel Bürgin. blind? “I wove my first-ever carpet back then. It was a runner.” Little did she know that she would be weaving carpets for 37 years and probably longer. “It has become a real passion.” No fear of failure Bürgin set up her own business in 1986 at the age of 24, armed with a hand weaving apprenticeship, a degree in textile design, and the worthwhile experience of doing an internship at Ulf Moritz’s design studio in Amsterdam. The “Dutch approach” of Isabel Bürgin displays one of her creations: a soft and voluminous carpet made from sheep’s wool. Photo: Lisa Schäublin Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 10 Profile
trying out off-the-cuff ideas and not being afraid to fail was particularly inspiring. Bürgin twice won a federal scholarship in applied art from the Federal Office of Culture at the beginning of the 1990s, which allowed her to work for a while without any financial worries. It was at this time that she created her classic “sch-nur-zufall” floor carpet made of natural goat’s hair and recycled coloured string. “It is the basis of my collection.” Prospective customers now had something they could run their hands over and imagine having in the home. Bürgin still enjoys weaving “sch-nur-zufall” to this day. “It is an extremely exciting carpet to make, because the string colour always varies.” Ready-made blankets and scarves Bürgin has been exhibiting at trade fairs for years. Yet few would come to a trade fair and dish out on the spot for an expensive rug. Products that people can take home with them, like her varied range of multicoloured woollen blankets, sell better. Woven using seven colours, her “wollok” blanket features an abundant fringe of hand-spun yarns and, according to Bürgin’s website, is “no comfy blanket but a multi-functional piece of body furniture”. Her soft scarves and shawls also come in bright colour combinations and are designed to keep people warm. Does Bürgin earn a good living from weaving? “I have learned to be realistic,” she replies. She did side jobs for 23 years to ease some of the financial strain. These included running workshops and teaching at art academies. In 2005, she was appointed as a professor for a very demanding threeyear term at Kassel Art School in Germany. That was her last “side job”. “Such a beautiful, tactile craft” The structure, density and design of the different yarns and fringes that she employs lend notable variety to her rug collection, despite her carpet loom only having two shafts. This limitation requires Bürgin to be extremely creative. The loom is just three metres wide, so she has to exert herself when using it. She never sits down and has to constantly move with the loom. Although air pressure helps her to change shafts, weaving The studio in Basel (above) is both an office and a showroom. The largest tool of the trade stands in the centre of the room: the three-metre wide loom, which is as tiring to operate as it looks. After scarves and blankets, rugs (below) are the main product in the collection. Photos: Lisa Schäublin New book about weaving in Switzerland The article above is an excerpt from a new book called “Alle Fäden in der Hand. Weben in der Schweiz”, which profiles 13 different weavers of all ages, across three generations, in Switzerland. The oldest is over 90 years of age, while the youngest recently completed her three-year weaving apprenticeship. Their different experiences and working methods demonstrate the potential of this ancient craft. The book also explores the story of weaving over the past 100 or so years, documenting the efforts that have been made to preserve the tradition and enhance its appeal as a viable profession in today’s world. At present, some 650 weavers in Switzerland are affiliated to a professional textile association. Gerlind Martin, Regula Zähner (publisher): “Alle Fäden in der Hand – Weben in der Schweiz” 204 pages; 145 mostly colour pictures; bound; 21 x 27 cm © 2024 Christoph Merian Verlag CHF 49 / EUR 49; ISBN 978-3-03969-035-0 a rug remains hard work. She should outsource this job, some people say. Bürgin laughs. “That is the last thing I would do! Weaving is such a beautiful, tactile craft.” Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 11
THEODORA PETER No, no and no again: the last vote of 2024 did not turn out well for the government or parliament. The Swiss electorate turned down three out of four proposals by the Federal Palace: besides the expansion of the highways, two relaxations of tenancy law that had the tenants’ association up in arms were also rejected. Only the standardised financing of insured healthcare benefits received the green light from voters. The Fifth Switzerland was more receptive to the authorities’ proposals on 24 November: unlike the majority of voters, the Swiss Abroad actually voted in favour of financing the motorway expansion and backed one of the controversial amendments to tenancy law (see charts). In so doing, they agreed with the Federal Council and parliament on three of the four proposals. This confirms the trend whereby the Fifth Switzerland follows the official line more closely when voting. The success of the left-green opposition Confidence in the government seems to have broken down, at least within the country. In the first year of the new legislative period, the government won a mere seven out of 12 votes. The Left triumphed five times in 2024 – most memorably when the SP and unions were successful with their initiative to introduce a 13th OASI pension payment (“Review 3/2024”). The electorate stops plans for motorway expansion On 24 November 2024, voters rejected the planned five-billion-franc expansion of the motorways, with 52.7 per cent voting against it. Voters also disagreed with the federal authorities on two proposed amendments to tenancy law. Financing the expansion of the national highways 0 5 1015202530354045 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 57,3% Across Switzerland, only 47.3 per cent voted in favour of the planned six extensions of the motorways. In contrast, the Fifth Switzerland voted strongly in favour of the works, with 57.3 per cent in favour of the financing, placing it in the minority along with the voters in 11 cantons. Standardised financing of health insurance benefits 0 5 1015202530354045 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 58.8% A majority (53.3 per cent) gave the green light to the new financing model in the healthcare sector. The Fifth Switzerland approved the proposal even more emphatically. The voters’ overall response to this bill revealed a distinct division between French-speaking Switzerland and the rest of the country. Swiss Abroad Swiss Abroad Standardised financing of health insurance benefits – yes votes in percent Financing the expansion of the national highways – yes votes in percent These victories for the Left at the polls are remarkable given that parliament moved markedly to the right in the federal elections of autumn 2023. Against this backdrop, the triple no is a signal to the power politics of the centreright parties: SVP, FDP and The Centre. Although they set the tone in the government and parliament, the people are clearly singing a different tune. Women are more sceptical than men about cars On 24 November, the Greens joined the SP in the winners’ camp. The ecological lobby struck a chord with the public through its campaign against excessive highway expansion, (“Review 5/2024”), as shown by a survey conducted after the vote. Besides climate-related concerns, people were also worried about more roads bringing more traffic. This argument from the anti-motorway lobby resonated most among female voters, 60 per cent of whom voted against the proposal. Men, on the other hand, were more sympathetic towards motorised transport: 56 per cent approved the financing, which, at least in the eyes of the yes camp, was simply a matter of relieving motorway congestion in a few areas. Maybe the yes camp was overly confident: its slogan “For a Switzerland that moves forward” failed to convince the majority. Political scientist and pollster Michael Herman also saw the rejection of the motorway expansion as an exSwiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 12 Politics
Tenancy law I: stricter rules for subletting 0 5 1015202530354045 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 53,6% Tightening the rules to the detriment of tenants fell short of nationwide majority approval, obtaining 48.4 per cent of the vote. The Fifth Switzerland, on the other hand, voted in favour (53.6 per cent). The victorious No lobby included the populous canton of Zurich as well as French-speaking Switzerland. Tenancy law II: facilitated termination for reasons of own use 0 5 1015202530354045 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 47,9% This second amendment to tenancy law proved even less popular, with just 46.2 per cent in favour. The Fifth Switzerland was also opposed to this legislative change in favour of landlords. Swiss Abroad Tenancy law I: stricter rules for subletting – yes votes in percent Swiss Abroad Tenancy law II: facilitated termination for reasons of own use – yes votes in percent The electorate has voted against building additional lanes on motorways like the A1 (seen here traversing the outskirts of Berne). Photo: Keystone pression of “growth aversion”. Many people feel Switzerland is growing too quickly, he said: “They fear an evergreyer Switzerland, covered in concrete”, Herman told the Tamedia newspapers. The public’s no to the motorway expansion shows what other road construction projects may also have to contend with. According to Minister of Transport Albert Rösti (SVP), a comprehensive expansion of the A1 motorway is now off the agenda. The Federal Council and parliament had intended to extend the busy stretch between Lausanne and Geneva and from Berne to Zurich to at least six lanes. Only the healthcare reform passed at the polls Meanwhile, it’s full steam ahead for the healthcare reforms. The Swiss voted 53.3 per cent in favour of the standardised financing of health insurance benefits. The Fifth Switzerland also agreed to the legislative change. It will lead to more treatments being classified as outpatient and costing less as a result. The authorities hope to see savings of up to 440 million Swiss francs. This was the one vote where the unions came up short. They had campaigned against the bill arguing, among other things, that the quality of care could be compromised and working conditions could also be affected. A reality check for landlords Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for tenancy law: 51.6 per cent of the electorate said no to tightening the rules for subletting. The Fifth Switzerland approved the legislative change, albeit to no avail. The bill was designed to prevent abuse of the system. If the bill had passed, tenants would have had to obtain explicit written agreement from the owner each time they wanted to sublet a property. As the law stands now, the tenant simply has to notify the owner. The no vote (53.8 per cent) was somewhat more emphatic in response to the proposed simplification of lease terminations for own use. Landlords will still have to prove that they have an “urgent” need for an apartment or house for themselves or for close relatives if they want to dissolve an existing rental contract. The Fifth Switzerland concurred as it also voted against the motion. The victorious tenant’s association is now preparing for the next defence of tenants’ rights. On Voting Sunday, it was already threatening referendums if parliament backs other adverse legislation, when setting rent levels for example. If it comes to that, the people will as always have the last word. Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 13
As children, we spent our first-ever pocket money on sweets at the local kiosk. Despite our parents’ protestations, cola frogs and and caramel sticks were the top priority. As adults, we bought newspapers, magazines and cigarettes from the same kiosk. We filled in our lottery tickets and dreamed of a jackpot that never came. The man or woman behind the counter knew immediately whether you wanted to talk to them or not. “Kiosk – Ein Kaleidoskop” is a new book that pays homage to all the little kiosks that we know and love around the corner, at the station or in the shopping centre – a wistful trip down memory lane, because the classic kiosk in Switzerland is a dying phenomenon. Tobacco, sweets and printed newspapers are less popular than during the kiosk heyday of the 20th century. Switzerland’s leading kiosk operator Valora still has around 800 sales outlets offering an expanded range including take-away food and power bank charging stations. “Kiosk” is a beautifully designed book that also explores kiosks through the eyes of younger people and puts them in a cultural, architectural and consumer-related context. Its stories and 100 or so images provide a fitting tribute. Kiosks are, according to the publishers, a place “where news from around the world lies in neatly stacked piles”. And “where the hasty and sleepless start the day”. SUSANNE WENGER Kiosks revisited Plattform Kulturpublistik, Zurich University of the Arts “Kiosk – Ein Kaleidoskop”, Limmat Verlag 2024. 208 pages, CHF 38 (in German) Dreaming of a big win – lottery slips are a ubiquitous and popular feature of every kiosk. Football stickers, cigarettes, magazines – Dora Meier at her kiosk in Niederbipp (canton of Solothurn), 1976 The cola frog is a famous Swiss sweet. 14 Images
A certain kind of symmetry inside one of the many kiosks across Switzerland. Photos: Limmat Verlag Kiosks are where cultures intersect. Neat and tidy shelf arrangements 15
SUSANNE WENGER Arrive at the headquarters of the “Unter-Emmentaler” in Huttwil (canton of Berne) and a Schürch Druck & Medien AG employee will take you through the noisy printing room, then up the steep, winding wooden stairs at the back of the building until you reach the editorial office – a small meeting room in which portraits of the paper’s founding family hang on the wall. Established in 1875, “Unter-Emmentaler” has remained in family hands to this day. When recently advertising an editorial job, it described itself as “one of the last remaining independent local newspapers in Switzerland”. Most of the desks are unoccupied on this snowy November afternoon. The journalists are out chasing stories. Six editorial staff work the equivalent of 5.1 full-time employees, with 10 freelancers helping them to publish two editions a week. The paper’s catchment area partially covers the Emmental Valley and the Oberaargau district in the canton of Berne as well as the Lucerne hinterland. Walter Ryser, an experienced local journalist, knows this part of the world like the back of his hand. “Fertile ground” As the company’s media manager, Ryser gives strategic advice to senior management in addition to writing articles for the newspaper. He also runs his own small advertising agency and is involved in cultural and sport associations. Ryser describes the region as rural and conservative. “Traditions are important here,” he says. “The pace of life is sedate, offering a fertile ground for local journal- “People want to know what is happening in their village” When media outlets feel the financial pinch, local newspapers are the first to fold. This has concerning implications for democracy. Yet the “Unter-Emmentaler” is 150 years old and still going strong amid the cuts. ism.” But people from the town of Langenthal also read the “Unter-Emmentaler”. “Langenthal is a world away from Huttwil,” explains Ryser’s colleague Thomas Peter, who is the paper’s chief editor. Such diversity within a small area is typical of Switzerland. “We do a journalistic balancing act,” says Peter. With aplomb, he might add. “None of the big publications bother with local journalism,” says Ryser, with a nod to the developments of the last 20 years. For a long time, Switzerland boasted an intricate media landscape that formed an important part of the federal system. Yet the rise of online media since the turn of the millennium has brought about the demise of business models around the country. Cost cutting and mergers have hit local journalism in particular. Many publications have disappeared At least 70 publications went out of print between 2003 and 2021. Newspapers have been discontinued or integrated into the centralised news desks of large media groups like Zurich-based Tamedia, which also owns publications in French-speaking Switzerland and the canton of Berne. Last autumn, Tamedia announced further significant job cuts and more mergers, the company’s stated aim being to “grow strategically in the digital world” with its stable of major publications. A storm of criticism greeted the announcement in affected regions right across the country – including Emmental-Oberaargau, home of the “Langenthaler Tagblatt”. In recent years, this once independent newspaper has been published as a regional variant of the Tamedia-owned “Berner Zeitung”, which has now swallowed it up entirely. Sharing feedback and thrashing out new topics – an editorial meeting at the “Unter-Emmentaler”. Walter Ryser is sitting at the far end of the table. Photo provided “Traditions are important here” – the “Unter-Emmentaler” has always been produced in Huttwil (canton of Berne). Photo: Keystone Chief editor Thomas Peter. Photo provided Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 16 Society
Walter Ryser from the “Unter-Emmentaler” used to be the chief editor of the “Langenthaler Tagblatt”. He always thought cutting local content was a big mistake. “I cannot believe how the media get away with it,” he says. “People want to know what’s happening in their village.” There is a need for quality local journalism. This is what the Huttwil-based company has invested in over the last few years: slightly increasing its editorial staff and extending its radius. The editorial policy remains print-first, with the paper’s website and Facebook page also offering content. Huge effort Articles containing the latest in-depth local news make up 80 per cent of the editorial content – whether this be Melchnau getting to keep its cheese dairy, locals voting to increase municipal funding for the ice rink in Huttwil, or plans to build a fire museum in Affoltern. The editors put a great deal of work into visiting events, researching stories and interviewing people across the region. They never miss any of the region’s public assemblies at which members of the community vote on local issues – a key pillar of direct democracy in Switzerland. Covering over 40 such assemblies is a huge effort. “But this is what we want to do,” says chief editor Peter. Studies reveal a decline in political participation and the social fabric whenever the media stops reporting on the issues that affect local communities. Without an independent local media, corruption also grows. According to Peter, the “Unter-Emmentaler” lacks the resources for extensive research. They have no wish to stir up controversy anyway. When issues turn heated, the newspaper simply reports the facts and the views so that readers can make Protest in Lausanne against job cuts by the Zurich-based media company Tamedia. The layoffs will hit French-speaking Switzerland particularly hard (12 September 2024). Photo: Keystone The opening of a new village shop is worth an article on the front page of the “Unter-Emmentaler” (6 December 2024). up their own minds. Ryser knows that readers won’t tolerate much more than that. “Otherwise they immediately pick us up on it because it’s not our style.” Rise in circulation The “Unter-Emmentaler” is holding its own. According to the latest audited circulation figures, it has around 4,700 paid subscribers. This number has grown in recent years, bucking the general trend. Local advertisers have consequently remained loyal to the newspaper. Revenues are satisfactory, say management. A large print run of 20,000 copies is distributed every two weeks. As a print media publisher, the company also gets postal concessions. How has a tiny newspaper been able to brave the digital transformation and the crisis afflicting the media sector? “Papers like the ‘Unter-Emmentaler’ are still able to employ the business model that is dying out at cross-rePost CH AG, AZ 4950 Huttwil UNTER-EMMENTALER SCHÜRCH DRUCK & MEDIEN | E-MAIL UE@SCHUERCH-DRUCK.CH | TELEFON 062 959 80 70 DIE ZEITUNG FÜR DEN OBERAARGAU, DAS EMMENTAL UND DAS LUZERNER HINTERLAND Erscheint Dienstag und Freitag. Jeden zweiten Freitag regionale Grossauflage HEUTE GROSSAUFLAGE 23 918 EXEMPLARE 149. Jahrgang, Nummer 97 Einzelpreis Fr. 1.50 FREITAG, 6. DEZEMBER 2024 www.unter-emmentaler.ch URSENBACH Neuer Dorfladen in ehemaliger Bäckerei In der ehemaligen Dorfbäckerei Schär in Ursenbach wird am Samstag, 7. Dezember, ein neuer Dorfladen eröffnet. Hinter dem Projekt steht eine Genossenschaft, an der zahlreiche Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner beteiligt sind, mit dem Ziel, dass Lebensmittel und Produkte für den täglichen Bedarf weiterhin im Dorf bezogen werden können. Von Walter Ryser Es war ein herber Schlag für Ursenbach, als diesen Sommer die Bäckerei Schär nach über 125 Jahren den Betrieb definitiv einstellte, weil die Inhaber Ursula und Heinz Schär trotz intensiver Suche keinen Nachfolger für fanden. Geblieben ist den Ursenbacherinnen und Ursenbachern ihre Käserei, die seither in kleinem Rahmen und auf Vorbestellung Brot anbietet, daneben aber nicht über die nötige räumliche Kapazität verfügt, um in der Käserei einen Dorfladen zu betreiben, wie Niklaus Leuenberger, Präsident der Käsereigenossenschaft, gegenüber dem «Unter-Emmentaler» zu verstehen gab. Der Verlust der Bäckerei hat die Dorfbewohner beschäftigt, so auch Denise Richard, die bereits ein Jahr vor der Schliessung Kontakt mit den damaligen Bäckers-Leuten aufnahm. Die 40-jährige therapeutische Masseurin und vierfache Mutter trug den Gedanken mit sich herum, in der ehemaligen Bäckerei einen Dorfladen zu realisieren. «Nach dem Gespräch mit Heinz und Ursula Schär habe ich diesen Gedanken aber wieder verworfen, weil ich feststellen musste, dass ich das nicht alleine realisieren kann.» Über 100 Anteilscheine gezeichnet Doch der Gedanke habe sie nicht mehr losgelassen. Auch andere Dorfbewohner wie Gemeinderätin Nicole Zaugg hatten die gleiche Idee und als Denise Richard die Gemeinderätin in dieser Angelegenheit kontaktierte, kam alles ins Rollen. Die beiden begeisterten weitere Ursenbacherinnen und Ursenbacher für ihre Idee. «Alle, die wir anfragten, sagten spontan zu», zeigt sich Nicole Zaugg erfreut über die grosse Solidarität gegenüber dem Projekt «Dorflade». In einem ersten Schritt wurde abgeklärt, wer hinter dem Dorfladen stehen soll und welche Rechtsform dafür geschaffen werden muss. Dabei habe man sich auch bei anderen Dorfläden erkundigt. Letztendlich fiel der Entscheid, eine Genossenschaft «Ursenbacher Dorflade» zu gründen, die als Betreiberin auftritt. Nicht weniger als neun Personen traten als Gründungsmitglieder in Erscheinung, Niklaus Leuenberger übernahm das Präsidium der neuen Genossenschaft. Mittlerweile sind bereits über 100 Anteilscheine à 100 Franken gezeichnet worden. Auch die Gemeinde unterstützt dieses Projekt mit einer grosszügigen Spende. Aber auch die Liegenschaftsbesitzer Heinz und Ursula Schär stehen diesem Projekt wohlwollend gegenüber und unterstützen dieses mit einem Mieterlass in den ersten Monaten sowie anschliessend mit einem moderaten Mietzins. Starthilfe für Kundschaft Mit dem Geld wurde in den letzten Wochen der bestehende Laden erneuert und angepasst. Weiter wurde ein Kassensystem angeschafft, Mobiliar beschafft und Werbung für den neuen Dorfladen gemacht, der am Samstag, 7. Dezember, als «SelbstbedienungsDorfladen» eröffnen wird und über ein Grundangebot an Brot, Backwaren, Sandwiches, Käsereiprodukten aus der Dorfkäserei, Früchten, Gemüse, Beeren, Fleischwaren, Eiern, Getreideprodukten, Honig, Glacen, Kaffee, Getränken und Geschenkartikeln verfügen wird. Für die Kundschaft bietet die Genossenschaft eine sogenannte Start-Hilfe, mit betreuten Ladenzeiten den ganzen Dezember (Dienstag, 9 bis 10 Uhr; Donnerstag, 15 bis 16 Uhr und Samstag von 9 bis 10 Uhr). Vor allem ältere Bewohnerinnen und Bewohner dürften über dieses Angebot froh sein, damit ihnen zu Beginn jemand bei der Abwicklung des Einkaufs, aber vor allem beim Bezahlsystem behilflich ist. Geöffnet ist der neue Dorfladen jeweils von Montag bis Sonntag, von 6 bis 20 Uhr. Um Diebstählen vorzubeugen, wird der Laden videoüberwacht. Jeden Morgen wird eine Person der Genossenschaft die Warenlieferungen entgegennehmen, die Regale dementsprechend mit neuen Waren bestücken und allgemeine Reinigungs- und Aufräumarbeiten erledigen, damit die Kunden wieder frische Waren in genügender Anzahl vorfinden. Etliche Personen hätten in den letzten Wochen und Monaten sehr viel Herzblut und ein grosses Engagement in dieses Projekt gesteckt, zeigt sich Niklaus Leuenberger erfreut über den intakten Dorfgeist in Ursenbach. Aber der Präsident der Genossenschaft macht sich nichts vor und ist Realist: «Es nützt am Ende nichts, wenn sich alle über den neuen Dorfladen freuen, funktionieren tut dieses Projekt nur dann, wenn die Ursenbacherinnen und Ursenbacher auch hier einkaufen.» Profitieren vom neuen Angebot werden laut Gründungsmitglied Manuel Weyermann zweifellos auch die Bewohner der Nachbargemeinden Walterswil und Oeschenbach und nicht zuletzt Touristen und Tages-Ausflügler, die auf der Durchreise ins Emmental sind. «Gerade diese Kunden haben das Angebot der Bäckerei Schär jeweils geschätzt», erinnert sich der 28-jährige Landwirt. In den ersten Monaten gehe es nun darum, Erfahrungen zu sammeln, das Sortiment allenfalls anzupassen und Feedbacks der Kundschaft einzuholen, um anschliessend das Projekt «Dorflade» zu optimieren und das Angebot unter Umständen anzupassen. «Wir sind überzeugt, dass dieser Laden unserem Dorf einen Mehrwert bietet und deshalb auch entsprechend genutzt wird», freuen sich die Gründungsmitglieder auf den Start. Eröffnen am 7. Dezember in der ehemaligen Bäckerei Schär einen neuen Selbstbedienungs-Dorfladen: Die Gründer der Genossenschaft «Ursenbacher Dorflade» (stehend von links): Niklaus Leuenberger, Esther Heiniger, Manuel Weyermann, Fritz Steiner. Vorne (von links): Denise Richard, Nicole Zaugg und Anja Güdel. Auf dem Bild fehlen: Kathrin Leuenberger und Nicole Plüss. Bild: zvg HUTTWIL Neues Erholungsgebiet Im Zuge der Hochwasserschutzmassnahmen im Kammernmoos ist ein neues Erholungsgebiet mit Teich entstanden. Seite 3 WYSSACHEN Klimapreis für Loosli AG Damit hat Matthias Loosli nicht gerechnet: Der Berner Unternehmerpreis Klima und Energie 2024 geht an die Loosli AG. Seite 5 EISHOCKEY Brandis ist Tabellenführer Der EHC Brandis liegt nach acht Siegen in neun Spielen an der Tabellenspitze der 2. Liga. Trainer Thomas Fasel berichtet. Seite 19 ZEIT FÜR EINE NEUE WEBSEITE? UE 37883 Tel. 034 435 15 45 | ekaffoltern.ch persönlich. unabhängig. sicher. UE 37895 ADRIAN WÜTHRICH Gemeindepräsident Huttwil ab 1.1.2025 Herzlichen Dank für Ihr Vertrauen. Für unser Huttwil! Falls Sie meine Tätigkeit als Gemeindepräsident verfolgen wollen, folgen Sie mir auf Instagram: @adrianwuethrich SP_Huttwil_AW_Danke_2024_55x80.indd 1 04.12.24 16:54 UE 39201 BURGDORF/KANTON BERN «Lädere» definitiv nicht in Burgdorf Die Technische Fachschule, im Volksmund «Lädere» genannt, zieht nicht von Bern nach Burgdorf. Das Berner Kantonsparlament ist auf das vor Jahren an die Stadt Burgdorf abgegebene Versprechen zurückgekommen und hat das Projekt von der Investitionsliste gestrichen. Finanzdirektorin Astrid Bärtschi verwies auf die grossen Investitionen, die der Kanton in den kommenden Jahren tätigen muss. Um das alles finanziell noch stemmen zu können, brauche es eine Verzichtsplanung. «Wir können uns nicht mehr alles leisten», sagte die Regierungsrätin. Bärtschi räumte ein, dass bereits über 14 Millionen Franken in das mittlerweile baureife Vorhaben geflossen sind. Diese abzuschreiben sei nicht schön, räumte die Regierungsrätin ein. Unter dem Strich entlaste der Verzicht auf das Projekt aber den Kanton Bern. Die Gegner der Streichung warfen der Regierung Wortbruch vor. Ein vor Jahren gegebenes und mehrfach bestätigtes Versprechen einfach mit einem einzigen Federstrich zu bodigen, untergrabe das Vertrauen der Bevölkerung in die Politik. SP-Grossrat und Burgdorfer Stadtpräsident Stefan Berger sagte, dass ein so ausgereiftes und schweizweit einzigartiges Bildungsprojekt nicht einfach so weggespart werden dürfe. Das wäre verantwortungslos, auch mit Blick auf die Wirtschaft, die auf Fachkräfte angewiesen sei. SVP-Grossrat Martin Lerch sprach von einem «veritablen Affront», dass der Kanton Millionen in den Sand setzen wolle. Noch nie sei im Kanton ein so weit fortgeschrittenes Projekt einfach abgeschossen worden. Am Ende fällte der Grosse Rat mit 74 zu 77 Stimmen und 4 Enthaltungen einen hauchdünnen Entscheid gegen den Umzug der «Lädere» nach Burgdorf. Der Kanton soll Burgdorf nach der Streichung des Bildungscampus-Projekts ein anderes Zückerchen geben, forderte eine weitere Planungserklärung. Allenfalls könnte die eben erst nach Deisswil gezogene Schule für Gestaltung nach Burgdorf weiterziehen. Davon riet Finanzdirektorin Astrid Bärtschi allerdings ab. In Deisswil laufe ein Zehnjahresvertrag für die Miete der Räume und ein Umzug nach Burgdorf wäre zu teuer. sda Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 17
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