SwissCommunity SMILLA SCHÄR The second edition of the SwissCommunity Days took place in August. This event supplements the Congress of the Swiss Abroad, which will now be held only every four years in its traditional format. The centrepiece of the SwissCommunity Days is the meeting of the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), the “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”. The meeting is part of a broader programme, which this year comprised a workshop on Thursday and an outing and party for everyone on Saturday. The Council of the Swiss Abroad focused on organisational matters This year’s edition of the SwissCommunity Days mainly involved addressing internal organisational issues and questions. Many of the Council of the Swiss Abroad delegates met for a workshop on the Thursday. They drew on the broad knowledge of the council members from all over the world to brainstorm and generate ideas for the future of the online community platform SwissCommunity and for how to raise funds for the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. A raft of institutional and organisational issues remained on the agenda when the CSA convened on Friday. The delegates approved the 2025 annual report and the legislative goals for the legislative body from 2025–2029. In addition, there were many proposals by the delegates relating to such issues as governance and the structure of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad plus its various organs. Refreshment breaks and spectacular views of a rainy Lake Lucerne offered respite from the rather dry subject material. Visits by the Consular Directorate and Federal Chancellery On Friday, the CSA delegates also had the opportunity to address their questions directly to experts from the Federal AdminisThe Swiss Abroad spend the SwissCommunity Days in Brunnen at the end of August Over one hundred Swiss from all over the world got together at the end of August in Brunnen on the shores of Lake Lucerne for the SwissCommunity Days. The centrepiece of the event was the meeting of the Council of the Swiss Abroad, the “Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland”. Participating and contributing: scene from the workshop on Thursday during the brainstorming session on the future of OSA offerings. Photo: Andy Ramseier tration. Oliver Spycher from the Federal Chancellery provided an update on the e-voting test run. Notwithstanding the regrettable incident in Basel-Stadt, other cantons have started conducting tests – most recently the canton of Lucerne and in November the canton of Neuchâtel for the first time. The Confederation and cantons aim to evaluate the trials by 2028 and then decide whether to make e-voting standard procedure, or whether to continue or halt the trials. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) was also represented. Marianne Jenni, Director-General of the Consular Directorate, fielded questions from the Swiss Abroad in attendance. She reported on the work and different ongoing projects at the Consular Directorate. She also provided an initial insight into a new offering scheduled to go live next year: the consular online counter. This digital counter is equipped for a wide range of administrative procedures, thus simplifying dealings with official bodies for Swiss Abroad. Closing party on the Square for the Swiss Abroad The close of the SwissCommunity Days on Saturday featured the usual informal gathering. Dinner was served on a boat on Lake Lucerne and everyone had plenty of scope to mingle. The Swiss Abroad then visited the finissage of the artist in residence programme of the Place of the Swiss Abroad in Brunnen and celebrated the last day on their special square, which is a symbol of the connection between the Swiss Abroad and Switzerland. The artist in residence programme gives a creative artist who is a member of the Swiss Abroad a one-year residency in Switzerland. This year’s residency was awarded to sculptor Vincent Ineichen. Some of the photo highlights from the “SwissCommunity Days” can be viewed in the online version of this article. www.revue.ch/en 34 Swiss Review / October 2026 / No. 4
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