SwissCommunity The “Fifth Switzerland” will meet in August 2025 in Berne The Congress of the Swiss Abroad continues to evolve and adapt to the needs of the “Fifth Switzerland”. Starting this year, the gathering will take on a different format to serve the interests of the Swiss Abroad even more effectively. The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) celebrated a historic milestone when it held its 100th congress in 2024. From 2025, the nature of its annual gatherings will change. Every four years, i.e. halfway through every legislative term, the Congress of the Swiss Abroad will take place in its traditional format for the purpose of taking stock and gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Swiss Abroad. Flexible format In the intervening years, the gathering will now be called SwissCommunity Days and will assume a flexible and innovative priority-based format – e.g. providing a form of induction at the beginning of every new legislative period, or consisting of regular meetings to address current issues. This streamlined gathering will be a platform dedicated to interaction and cooperation, featuring workshops, networking events and sightseeing excursions. Individual events will be open to anyone interested in attending. Both the Congress of the Swiss Abroad and the SwissCommunity Days will take place in the third week of August, making that time of the year an unmissable and permanent fixture in the calendar. Symbolic start in Berne The event in Berne on 22 and 23 August 2025 will mark the beginning of a new legislative term for the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA). It will combine theme-based workshops with the official CSA meeting, while providing a platform for interaction between the Swiss Abroad, the federal authorities and the elected representatives. Through this new format, OSA is underscoring its key role as the voice of the Swiss Abroad, marrying tradition with innovation for the benefit of a dynamic, connected community. MAYA ROBERT-NICOUD, SWISSCOMMUNITY Further information: www.revue.link/congress24 Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne, Switzerland communication@swisscommunity.org www.swisscommunity.org Phone. +41 31 356 61 25 Between 11 April and 11 May 2025, the Swiss Abroad will vote to determine the new composition of the Council of the Swiss Abroad, referred to as the “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”. Thirteen regions are participating in the “Direct elections” pilot, with Swiss nationals in these regions being able to elect their local delegates directly via e-voting. The pilot will be conducted in the following countries and electoral constituencies: Australia, Germany, Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal), Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Singapore, Türkiye, USA, UK, and the Central, West and South Asia electoral constituency (Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, the occupied Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen). Swiss citizens who live in one of the aforementioned countries and wish to vote should make sure that they are registered with the competent Swiss representation (embassy or consulate) under a valid email address. They can do this directly via the FDFA online desk or by sending an email to the relevant Swiss representation. Anyone who has provided only one email address per household should note that only one vote can be cast per email address. It is still possible to change Not long to go before the Council of the Swiss Abroad elections Do you want to participate online in the upcoming Council of the Swiss Abroad elections? Then you need to make sure your current email address is registered with your local embassy or consulate. “Palestine” – a clarification In edition 5/2024, we mentioned that Swiss who live in “Palestine” can participate in the e-voting pilot. Some readers were surprised and angry, because Palestine is neither a precise geographical area nor does Switzerland recognise Palestine as a state. It was careless, confusing and unfortunate of us to use the term – and we are sorry. We had no intention of making a political statement and only wanted to confirm that the small number of Swiss Abroad who live in what the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs refers to as “occupied Palestinian territory”, i.e. the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the Gaza Strip, are also eligible to vote. (MUL) this, i.e. give the email address of every person in your household who is eligible to vote. The voting period will run from 11 April to 11 May 2025. Registered voters will receive relevant instructions by email. Finally, anyone who not only wishes to vote but also wants to stand for election should contact the election coordinator in their electoral constituency as soon as possible. The official election website: https://www.swisscommunity.org/de/elections/ ANDREAS FELLER, MEMBER OF THE DIRECT ELECTIONS WORKING GROUP 33 Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1
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