THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SWISS ABROAD AUGUST 2009 / NO. 3 ImmerSwiss humourmehr Aratmethe inNadertionalreicMuseumhen Schweiz EinBankinglebendigconfiesdentialityMuseum – fürtheGrendossdraundwsKleinearn SwitzerlGemeinsaandmehasVisapolitikincreasingly fedankwerSccommuneshengen EDITORIAL CONTENTS 3 A lost year arge and small companies are continually finding themselves obliged to introduce 5 short-time work or, even worse, to make job cuts. Hardly a day goes by without Mailbag Lnews that raises concerns about the immediate future. Then there are also the 5 problems Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, is having with the authorities in the USA, Sounds: The bells of home which will hopefully have been resolved by the time this edition of “Swiss Review” 7 reaches you. Images: Giacometti in Riehen Switzerland is among those badly hit by the global economic crisis, as the Swiss 8 National Bank announced in the spring. The Swiss economy has experienced its sharp- UBS on the brink – the end of banking confidentiality? est downturn since the oil crisis in 1975. While economists estimate that the Swiss econ- 11 omy will contract by 2.7% this year, this must be seen in the light of recent high levels of The book on the crisis: economic performance. The economy has performed exceptionally well in recent years. Bank, Banker, Bankruptcy However, the extent of the crisis is evidenced by the current rate of unemployment at 12 3.8%, which is expected to rise to 5.5% next year with as many as 240,000 out of work. Swiss humour at the National Museum Economists do not anticipate an upturn this year. Some are even calling 2009 a 14 “lost year”. That said, they all agree in forecasting that there will be a recovery in 2010. Notes from Parliament They do not reach consensus though on when the upturn will take hold in Switzerland. One expert recently said that the only thing you can be sure of is that the sun does even- Regional news tually come out after a downpour. In his article on page 8, Rolf Ribi primarily examines the reasons behind the UBS 17 debacle, the pressure on banking confidentiality and the global financial crisis, which Politics: A retrospective on voting has had such a devastating impact on the global economy. In the same vein, René Zeyer’s 18 bestseller, “Bank, Banker, Bankruptcy”, which looks at the world On the trail of SherlocK Holmes in of investment banking (see page 11), is shocking and insightful in Switzerland equal measure. 20 * Increasingly fewer communes in Switzerland Even “Swiss Review” has been affected by the economic crisis. 23 Advertisers are now taking a more cautious approach, and adver- Politics: Federal Councillor Couchepin tising budgets have been cut as the economic situation is expected stands down 24 Heinz Eckert to get even worse. Parliament has also cut our budget, leaving us with CHF 500,000 less this year. As a result, there will only OSA news be four editions of “Swiss Review” this year instead of the usual six. We deeply regret this 26 development and hope that Parliament reviews its decision, enabling us to have six edi- Hans Erni celebrates his 100th birthday tions again in 2010. 28 The website www.revue.ch contains a link to a survey we are carrying out together Discovering Switzerland with our partner, Switzerland To urism. We hope many of you will complete this survey 30 to assess our work. We are very interested to know what our readers think of “Swiss Profile: Stanislas Wawrinka Review”, what they particularly enjoy reading and what they would like to see improved. 31 The answers concerning your habits with regard to visiting Switzerland are of great Echo importance to Switzerland To urism. Thank you for showing an interest in our concerns. Cover photo: Caricaturist Corinne Bromundt’s HEINZ ECKERT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF impression of the relationship between German- speaking and French-speaking Swiss (from the “Witzerland” exhibition at the National Museum). 3 . No / IMPRINT: “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss abroad, is in its 36th year of publication and is published in German, French, Italian, English and Spanish in 14 regional editions. 2009 It has a total circulation of 408 000. Regional news appears four times a year. t gus ■ EDITORS: Heinz Eckert (EC), Editor-in-Chief; Rolf Ribi (RR); René Lenzin (RL); Alain Wey (AW); Viviane Aerni (VA); Rahel Schweizer (RS), responsible for “Notes from Parliament”, Service Au for the Swiss Abroad, DFA, CH-3003 Berne Translation: CLS Communication AG ■ POSTAL ADDRESS: Publisher, editorial office, advertising: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpen- strasse 26, CH-3006 Berne, Tel.: +4131356 61 10, Fax: +4131356 61 01, Postal account (Swiss National Giro): 30-6768-9. Internet: www.revue.ch ■ E-MAIL: [email protected] ■ PRINT: Zollikofer AG, CH-9001 St.Gallen. ■ CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please advise your local embassy or consulate. Do not write to Berne. ■ All Swiss abroad who are registered with a Swiss REVIEW representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe to the magazine for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 25 / abroad: CHF 40). Subscribers are sent the magazine ISS direct from Berne. Copy deadline for this edition:: 22.6.09 SW Leave a lasting legacy behind Do something for our compatriots abroad A legacy or bequest allows you to leave instructions on the disposal of your money, real estate or property*. A bequest to the OSA is an enduring reminder of your solidarity with our compatriots abroad. The Organisation for the Swiss Abroad uses all such funds to assist Swiss Abroad in accordance with the testator’s instructions. *To do this you need to draw up a will. The OSA offers an informative, easy-to-understand brochure on how to draw up a will: Contact the OSA Legal Service, "Rechtsdienst der ASO", Alpenstrasse 26, CH-3006 Berne or e-mail [email protected] Help us to help you! MAILBAG SOUNDS 5 The Swiss economy in good ages to put together for each EVERYONE IS BOUND to be familiar with the sound of the shape issue – go on! bells of home, which have rung in Sundays every Saturday The interview with Silvio For Swiss living abroad evening for decades on Swiss radio from one of Switzer- Borner in the April issue was (like me), it’s good to have a land’s many church steeples. Radio producers only real- excellent. Heinz Eckert periodic look at what’s hap- ised just how popular this traditional broadcast was when showed great style the way pening in Switzerland that they changed the schedule to leave ringing in Sunday un- the interview was con- does not tie me to the com- til Sunday morning. There was such an outcry from the ra- ducted. My praise goes to puter monitor. dio audience that the decision had to be reversed and the Silvio Borner who presented P. KRAUS, FAIRFIELD, USA church bells were immediately put bacK to their original the whole financial crisis in a slot. The peal of the bells is so popular among listeners very practical way. I wholly Keep the printed issues that the radio broadcaster “DRS Musikwelle” has placed endorse his thinking and I am a Swiss citizen from home the sound of the church bells, which is recorded and digi- only wish we had the same Berne and have been living of tised every week throughout Switzerland, on the Internet. philosophy here in the US. in the San Diego area for 20 s Anyone who associates church bells with their childhood As a native conservative years. I have been receiving, and a piece of their homeland can now access this sound Bell Swiss, it makes me cringe the reading and enjoying “Swiss individually from all over the world at any time of the day. way things are developing Review”, as it connects me Where possible, the names of the bells and other details, here. We could use someone with current events and such as pitch, weight, year of manufacture and name of the like Mr. Borner as an advisor trends in Switzerland, as foundry, are given for all the churches where the sounds are for our government. well as provides me with recorded. Each sound is also described. For example, for the H. HAEMISEGGER, HOUSTON, USA high-quality background Roman Catholic church of St.Martin in Olten the description analysis on political and cul- reads: “voluble six-pitch peal in a marvellous sequence with Thank you tural events “back home”. under-fourth”. And the church I would like to thank you for I read that financial limi- of St. Mauritius in Naters has your highly informative tations are driving a consid- a “polyphonic, distinctive peal magazine. My closest friend, eration to eliminate the with high scarcity value”. who comes from the Canton printed copy in favor of an Some of the bells date bacK of Valais, regularly gives it to online-only version. I would to the Middle Ages, such as the me to read, after which I like to add my vote in favor one in the reformed church in pass it on to my parents who of keeping the printed edi- Matt in the Canton of Glarus, also really enjoy it. Through tion, even if it means charg- which was cast in the 13th cen- my friend, I have come to ing for it. I read the Review tury. It is described as “a charm- know and love Switzerland when I travel, when I wait ing gentle peal that has remained and its people, and “Swiss for someone in the car, or unchanged for centuries and is Review” has played a big simply out by the pool, i.e. in very well suited to this mountain-valley church”.