DENISE LACHAT Rarely has there been a more sobering item on the agenda in the run-up to Christmas. “Reduction in services and benefits for Swiss Abroad” was the title of the December meeting of the Swiss Abroad parliamentary group. Instead of the sound of sleigh bells, everyone’s thoughts fast forwarded to the cold turkey of a particularly dry January. The Federal Council wants to save money (see page 9), introducing gradual measures that will hit hard across the board, including the “Fifth Switzerland”. It is cancelling the annual almost 19 million Swiss franc subsidy of media content produced by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) for people living abroad – a move that not only affects the Italian-language website tvsvizzera.it as well as collaboration with the international television channels TV5MONDE and 3sat, but also – and in particular – the 10-language online service swissinfo, which is funded on a fifty-fifty basis by SRG SSR and the federal government. Swissinfo has barely any hope of surviving without state funding. Other casualties include government subsidies to promote relations with the Swiss Abroad, as well as educationsuisse, the coordination agency for Swiss schools abroad, which until now has had a third of its outgoings funded by the federal government. Following a first round of subsidy reductions for 2025, the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) can expect further significant cuts in state funding. Alarming Against this backdrop, OSA spared no time in writing to the Federal Council to express its opposition to the measures. But there is much more to these cuts than saving money. Negative messaging regarding the Swiss Abroad has proliferated. National Councillor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (Centre, canton of Basel-Landschaft), a seasoned politician, is not alone in saying that sentiment has turned against the “Fifth Switzerland” – and it is “quite alarming”. “It’s their own fault for moving abroad” is one of the phrases that she increasingly hears. In the cantons where the Swiss Abroad are not entitled to vote in the elections to the Council of States, there is a lack of willingness to change this status quo. This is symptomatic of the current mood, she says. Expats could return to Switzerland if they wanted, seems to be the consensus. Schneider-SchSentiment turns against the Swiss Abroad Indifference and disdain – the mood in Switzerland has turned against the Swiss Abroad of late. No longer flavour of the month, or symptomatic of a more general malaise? We asked some politicians who are closely involved with the “Fifth Switzerland” for their views. The Swiss Abroad parliamentary group met in December at the Federal Palace to discuss the recent measures affecting Swiss expats. Pictured here from left to right: Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (Centre), Laurent Wehrli (FDP), Nicolas Walder (Greens), Alex Farinelli (FDP), Katja Christ (GLP), and SP member of the Council of States Carlo Sommaruga Photo: Danielle Liniger Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 28 Swiss Abroad
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