THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SWISS ABROAD

AUGUST 2010 / NO. 3

General Guisan – Did he save in the war?

To what extent should Swiss German be used?

On the trail of Lord Byron in Switzerland Auslandskrankenversicherung ● bereits ab 131,- € monatlich www.revue.ch ● Tarifvergleiche online We look forward to your online visit. www.auslandsschweizer.com

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The 5 hy switzerland emerged unscathed from the second world war and Mailbag why it was spared by Hitler’s army is still being discussed 65 years after the end of the confl ict. Was this simply chance or was trade with Switzerland – weap- 5 W Books: The history of the Federal Palace ons, fi nancial services and gold – simply too important to the Germans? Or does alpine transit explain why Switzerland never came under attack from Greater Germany? Was 7 it the military victories of the Allied forces or was fate simply kind to us? Did Images: The Swiss Marlboro Man General Guisan and the Swiss army perhaps make the price of entering Switzerland too 8 high for Adolf Hitler? Did General Guisan save Switzerland? The question as to why Switzerland was not swallowed up by the German Reich will never be answered defi nitively. Still, it would appear that the general and the army had 12 a considerable infl uence on the decisions of the Nazi leadership: “The réduit in the Exhibition in Berne to mark the centenary of Albert Anker’s death and control of the north-south axis signifi cantly increased the importance of the military factor”, wrote Fred Luchsinger, former editor-in-chief, in the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. 14 Notes from Parliament He continued: “Without military defences and the will to resist, Switzerland would sim- ply have become a pawn in Germany’s quest for domination of Europe.” Various factors undoubtedly came into play, probably least of all fate. At any rate, Regional news General Henri Guisan deserves recognition for ensuring the Swiss army was up to the task and that Switzerland held its own against its sizeable northern neighbour tactically 17 The Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg and politically. This is illustrated by Rolf Ribi’s portrait of an extraordinary fi gure in Swiss history who is still of great interest to historians and biographers. The Swiss 18 abroad also voted General Guisan as the fourth most important To what extent should Swiss German be used? Swiss citizen of all time in the survey conducted by “Swiss Review” 20 (page 5). UBS locked in dispute with Switzerland * www.swisscommunity.org is the name of the Internet platform 21 launched by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. Swiss people Revision of unemployment insurance abroad now have their own platform for searching for and fi nding 22 information as well as for chatting. This electronic network aims OSA news Heinz Eckert to promote worldwide contact among the Swiss abroad and with Switzerland. www.swisscommunity.org offers the ideal platform for anyone specifi cally 26 On the trail of Lord Byron in Switzerland looking for contact with other Swiss nationals abroad who requires particular informa- tion about Switzerland or other Swiss abroad groups, wants to buy or sell things or sim- 28 ply wants to get in touch with like-minded people. Swiss abroad who would like to visit Living folklore: Modern-day alpine herdsmen their old homeland will fi nd tourist information and offers, and Swiss associations and 30 institutions abroad can use the new electronic Swiss club to advertise for members. Peo- Interview with the parties: SP Schweiz ple can fi nd out about their canton of origin and Switzerland and also discover where the International best fondues and the crispiest rye bread can be found abroad. www.swisscommunity.org is a bit like Facebook, Xing or Linked-In, yet different at the same time. This electronic 31 Echo community for the Swiss abroad is an exclusive communication platform specifi cally tai- lored to the needs of Swiss citizens abroad. We hope that the 700,000 Swiss abroad on all continents enjoy using our new site. Cover photo: General Henri Guisan: His popularity remains high. HEINZ ECKERT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Photo: Keystone

IMPRINT: “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss abroad, is in its 37th year of publication and is published in German, French, Italian, English and Spanish in 14 regional editions. It has a total circulation of 416000. Regional news appears four times a year. ■ EDITORS: Heinz Eckert (EC), Editor-in-Chief; Rolf Ribi (RR); René Lenzin (RL); Alain Wey (AW); Jean-François Lichtenstern (JFL), responsible for “Notes from Parliament”, Service for ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 the Swiss Abroad, DFA, CH-3003 Berne Translation: CLS Communication AG ■ LAYOUT: Herzog Design, Zurich ■ POSTAL ADDRESS: Publisher, editorial offi ce, advertising: Organi sation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, CH-3006 Berne, Tel.: +4131356 6110, Fax: +4131356 61 01, Postal account (Swiss National Giro): 30-6768-9. Internet: www.revue.ch ■ E-MAIL: [email protected] ■ PRINT: Swissprinters St.Gallen 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 representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe to the magazine for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 25 / abroad: CHF 40).

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Switzerland and THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SWISS ABROAD enormous conse- Immersed in the history of the Federal Palace. The guide crisis quential costs of “Le Palais fédéral à Berne” (The Federal Palace in Berne) Many congratu- APRIL 2010 / NO. 2 migration and so- gives us an historical and architectural insight into this lations on your edi- cial insurance, etc., Swiss political landmark covering all stages of its construc- torial “Switzerland not to mention the tion and the reasons for its various extensions. The Federal and the crisis”. billions on top Palace is made up of three buildings – the west wing, for- Every word and which Switzerland merly the federal government building, built between 1852 every sentence was would continually Pascale Bruderer: the most senior woman and 1857, the east wing, built between 1888 and 1892, and, in Swiss politics

Policy on Europe spot on. Your arti- in a cul-de-sac have to pay out to in the centre, the Parliament Building constructed between Swiss farmers face an uncertain future cle ought to be pub- bankrupt states as 1894 and 1902. Berne was chosen as the new federal capital lished in a prominent place in an EU member. You also failed in 1848 at the fi rst meeting of the chambers. The Federal all Swiss newspapers over the to mention the EU directives, Council and the Parliament were temporarily based at differ- coming weeks to make people which Member States con- ent locations in Berne. In 1852, the Bernese architect, Jakob stop and think. stantly have to implement, de- Friedrich Studer (1817-1879), started work on the construc- I hope you and your team creed by an unelected body The Federal Palace in Berne tion of the government building in neo-renaissance style. As keep up the good work and of commissioners. Switzerland that “Swiss Review” – printed is not yet without alternatives the size of the federal administration became much greater than or electronic – continues to as the people are being told anticipated, extension plans had to be drawn up in 1874. Work on enjoy a strong readership. by those who have deliberately the building of the east wing began in 1888 under the guidance of E. DIETHELM, ALTENDORF taken us down the bilateral Hans Wilhelm Auer (1847-1906), an architect from St. Gallen. The cul-de-sac, are vigorously un- same architect was also responsible for the construction of the Par- Women in Switzerland dermining our institutions and liament Building adorned with its cupola and built exclusively Thank you for the very in- are propagating defeatism. from Swiss materials. Illustrated with many contemporary and pe- teresting article about the M. NYFFELER, GERMANY riod photographs and plans, this guide also looks at the interior achievements of Pascale Brud- decor and the building’s most important rooms – an extraordinary erer Wyss. Swiss women have Strong argument variety. come a long way! When I left My hearing is failing, but my “Le Palais fédéral à Berne”, Monica Bilfi nger, Guide to Swiss monuments, Society Switzerland in the summer of sight is very good. I was capti- for the History of Swiss Art, Swiss Confederation, Berne, 2009. 1969 women were not allowed vated by the April edition’s to vote. A married woman was front-page photograph of Pas- Switzerland under the microscope. In “En retard au paradis” not allowed to open a bank cale Bruderer. This is a strong (Late for Heaven), the humanist, Paul Grossrieder, and political account or rent an apartment argument for the printed ver- analyst, Brigitte Perrin, examine Switzerland and its values in a under her own name. Now sion and against the online one. lengthy work which interweaves the viewpoints of two genera- women are running the country! Switzerland is blessed with tions. One, born in 1944, is a Dominican friar who later became a Congratulations, well done. extraordinary people as well as diplomat at the Vatican, before going on to work for the Red Cross M. JOHNSON, CANADA wonderful scenery. I look for- at the age of 39 and becoming head of the ICRC from 1998 to 2002. ward to future editions. His counterpart, born in 1974, works for TSR – the state French- Policy on the EU: all aboard the W. SCHALLER, GERMANY language broadcaster in Switzerland – as a journalist. The book ex- Titanic! amines Switzerland’s socio-economic and political landscape In your rough calculation, touching on humanitarian issues, solidarity, individualism, pov- you generously overlooked the erty, young people, neutrality, national identity, disparity in wealth, May 1968 and the erosion of social benefi ts. The tradition of compromise, the right of asylum, criticism of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the Federal Council, banking confi dentiality, the tax THE GREATEST SWISS system, discretion, openness and diplomacy are also explored. The We asked the Swiss abroad to tell us via the Internet who they debate is based on the experiences and professional backgrounds felt was the greatest Swiss fi gure of all time. We received 2,500 of the two protagonists. It then becomes more general and more votes. The result: was voted the most outstanding global, addressing the issues of the environment, climate change, Swiss citizen in history. In second place came Henri Dunant, the man and nature. Parallels are drawn between the Swissair and UBS founder of the Red Cross, third was Heinrich Pestalozzi, and Gen- affairs. Finally, religion, philosophy and wisdom are also dealt with eral Henri Guisan, whose service as commander-in-chief of the in the latter part. Times are changing and Swiss tardiness is scruti- Swiss army in the Second World War has never been forgotten, fi n- nised in detail. On the topic of punctuality, Paul Grossrieder’s ished in fourth position. In order of votes, they were followed by ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 grandfather would say “hurry up or you’ll be late getting to , Jean-Jacques Rousseau and . We would like to thank everyone who took part in our little heaven” when he saw him dawdling. survey. Video interviews on the book can be found at: www.enretardauparadis.com SWISS REVIEW A “En retard au paradis. Dialogues autour du génie helvétique”, by Paul Grossrieder and Brigitte Perrin, published by Xenia, , 2009. 4UBSUHVUIBCFOJOLM$)' ° 5FMFGPOJFSFO4JFGSOVS  3Q.JOJOEJF4DIXFJ[

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The Marlboro Man. Hannes Schmid, born in Zurich in 1946, photographed the Marlboro Man between 1993 and 2002. He is considered one of the most signifi cant Marlboro photographers as he was able to bring new dimensions to the already well-known fi gure. The Swiss Foundation of Photography is honouring him with an exhibition in (until 19.9.2010) www.fotostiftung.ch ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 SWISS REVIEW A 8 GENERAL HENRI GUISAN

“Heart of the resistance, saviour of the nation” , he struggled to apply himself to Henri Guisan, commander-in-chief of the Swiss army in the Sec- any one course of study. He set out in life without a degree and discovered his passion ond World War, died 50 years ago. His speech on the Rütli and the for farming. Guisan learned the practice of withdrawal of the troops into the alpine stronghold of the farming and Swiss German on two farms be- Gotthard were the foundations on which national resistance was longing to German-speaking Swiss and he marvelled at the aristocratic demeanour of built. General Guisan was adored and revered by the entire the owners. He now wanted to become a nation. Even though his life was not completely untainted, he farmer himself. In 1897, he bought a farm in was the father fi gure of the war generation. By Rolf Ribi the Broye Valley and married Mary Doelker in the same year. His children, Henry and Myriam, were born soon after. Thanks to his wife’s money, the family purchased a beau- tiful country house at Verte-Rive on Lake where they stayed for the rest of On 12 April 1960, an expanse of blue sky Election as general their lives. stretched over Lausanne. A bitterly cold Germany’s European neighbours were The young offi cer soon showed an inclina- North Wind blew across the canton of . anxious about potential plans to attack them tion towards the army. Guisan blossomed in The scene was dominated by the army green in spring 1939. In Switzerland, the border uniform. According to his military service worn by thousands of soldiers who served guards were enlisted on 28 August to safe- book, he gave 20 years of service days to the from 1939 to 1945. Troops involved in active guard the mobilisation of the entire army on army. From a simple carriage soldier, who service lined the streets, several rows deep, 2 September. On 29 August, Federal Coun- was responsible for the horses used to trans- together with 300,000 people from all walks cillor Rudolf Minger, Head of the Federal port artillery, his military career took him of life. General Henri Guisan, the com- Military Department, made a telephone call into the artillery and the infantry before mander-in-chief of the Swiss army in the to Senior Lieutenant General Henri Guisan reaching the rank of divisional commander. Second World War, had died fi ve days ear- to summon him to Berne. The next day, 30 The impressive militia offi cer was then made lier, aged 86. August, the Federal Assembly, convened in a professional offi cer. In 1932, he was ap- The funeral procession made its way from the middle of summer, elected him as com- pointed senior lieutenant general, the high- , where the deceased had lived, to mander-in-chief of the Swiss army with 204 est rank of offi cer in times of peace. Lausanne’s Place de la Riponne. Here the out of 229 votes. Radio Beromünster broad- Contemporaries and historians provide a army bid farewell to its general in a dignifi ed cast the vote directly to living rooms, facto- nuanced portrayal of his personal attributes. ceremony. The four-kilometre-long cortege ries and offi ces. According to Karl Schmid, a forward-think- was made up of more than 3,000 dignitaries, No sooner had 64-year-old Henri Guisan ing policymaker and offi cer of the general’s a battalion of fusiliers, a howitzer division, a been elected than he strode into the Na- staff, Guisan embodied the entire popula- squadron of dragoons and the bearers of 400 tional Council chamber with his offi cer’s hat tion’s spirit of resistance, extending far be- military ensigns. The artillery carriage car- in his hand, his sword in his belt and wearing yond the army. He said: “The people made rying the coffi n draped in the Swiss fl ag was riding boots. Everyone in the chamber and him their representative.” The general en- drawn by six horses. It was followed by the in the galleries rose to their feet. The Fed- joyed popularity and veneration from all general’s last horse with an empty saddle and eral Chancellor read out the oath and the quarters. He had a warm and sincere manner lowered head. The Swiss President, Max general simply responded “I swear”. The and took the concerns of his soldiers about Petitpierre, stood in the pulpit of Lausanne President of the assembly then said: “We en- the fate of their families and businesses just cathedral and gave the funeral address. The trust to you the protection of our nation, church bells were then sounded across the which we love so dearly and would never country. want to give up. May God bless your work, Never before had Switzerland experi- General.” When Henri Guisan emerged enced a state funeral like this. The Swiss peo- from the Federal Palace people on the Bun- ple went into deep mourning. They saw their desplatz started singing the national anthem. military leader at a time of danger as the The newly elected general joined in. “heart of the resistance” and the “saviour of Guisan – the farmer and offi cer the nation”. He was the general adored by Who was Henri Guisan? Born in 1874 in the entire population. In those days, his pic- Mézières, canton of Vaud, the son of a coun- ture hung in almost every living room, in try doctor from , he lost his biolog- many inns and in all army barracks. Streets ical mother at a young age. Little is known ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 and squares were named after him, even dur- about the childhood of this small, slightly ing his lifetime. A memorial by the artist built and handsome lad. He did not particu- Charles Otto Bänninger was constructed in larly excel in the cadets, or in sport or at SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone Ouchy on . grammar school. At the University of 9

as seriously as those of the women about their homes and children. The historian Willi Gautschi, author of a comprehensive biography on the general, wrote: “Guisan was no intellectual and not really a strategist. He was a pragmatist with tremendous com- mon sense.” Maintaining his image was im- portant to him – his uniform was more ele- gant than that of any other offi cer and no picture of the general could be published without the approval of his staff. Guisan loved festivals and sporting events. “One of this aristocratic general’s secrets was his abil- ity to make all his soldiers feel as though he saw them as equal citizens”, writes Markus Somm, the author of a new biography on Guisan. Wherever the general went, people wanted to greet him. Anyone who ever met him would tell the story for the rest of their lives.

Secret talks with France The German army marched into Poland Before the outbreak of the Second World near Dijon. These included documents on at dawn on 1 September 1939. The Second War, he maintained personal relationships the secret negotiations between Swiss offi c- World War had begun. The Federal Coun- with key army leaders. This gave him an in- ers and the French army on how to respond cil ordered the general mobilisation of the sight into the French defence strategy in the to a German attack. In the view of Edgar army on 2 September. 430,000 soldiers and border region. In autumn 1939, secret talks Bonjour, author of the reference work “Ge- 200,000 auxiliaries signed up on the fi rst day were held with French army offi cials at the schichte der schweizerischen Neutralität” of mobilisation. General Guisan knew what general’s command. The aim of the cooper- (History of ), Guisan’s ap- the army was lacking most – tanks and aero- ation was to ensure that as soon as German proach jeopardised neutrality: “Germany planes. It also had signifi cantly more horses soldiers attacked Switzerland, French units could have used the situation as a pretext for than motor vehicles. To take advantage of would cross the Swiss border and occupy the a military invasion.” General Guisan’s posi- the terrain, Guisan decided to position the region. An entire division of the Swiss tion was “unquestionably in jeopardy” in army along a front running from Sargans army would be placed under French com- 1940/41, according to the “Neue Zürcher through Lake Zurich and the Limmat to the mand. Neither the Federal Council nor the Zeitung” back then. Jura. It ran right through the city of Zurich. general’s staff knew of these agreements. The collapse of France sent shockwaves The front only faced north, as the general through Switzerland. However, hopes soon saw no danger in the west of the country. The army’s open west fl ank emerged that the threat of war had been Guisan had a close personal relationship with The situation suddenly changed. In May temporarily avoided thanks to the German- France and its army. He had visited French and June 1940, the German army defeated French armistice. The general believed that troops on the front in the First World War. France within six weeks and occupied large the Germans were unlikely to consider mil- parts of the country. The armistice between itary action. The Federal Council ordered Germany and France on 25 June 1940 left the partial demobilisation of the army and Picture left: Henri Guisan was elected general on 30 August 1939 by the United Federal Assembly. Switzerland’s western border exposed to dan- sent home almost two thirds of the soldiers. The National Council and Council of States rose to ger. “As a result of numerous misjudgements, General Guisan did not oppose this move. their feet during the swearing-in ceremony. the leadership of the Swiss army suffered a dis- Powerful German divisions with 245,000 Picture above: General Henri Guisan, shortly after aster of catastrophic proportions with its de- men stood on Switzerland’s western border being sworn in on 30 August 1939 at the Federal Palace in Berne. From left to right: Federal Council- fence strategy”, said the historian Klaus Urner. on 24 July, waiting for Hitler’s order to lors Ernst Wetter and Philipp Etter, General Guisan, He added: “If the Germans had decided at march into Switzerland. Military historian Federal Councillors Marcel Pilet-Golaz and that time to advance towards Switzerland’s Walter Schaufelberger believes it would have Hermann Obrecht. western frontier, which had been left exposed been a debacle for Switzerland if the Ger- without French protection, they would have man army had attacked at this time. quickly accomplished their mission.” ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 In July 1940, German troops discovered Speech by the Swiss President confi dential fi les belonging to the French On 25 June 1940, the Swiss President, general’s staff in a destroyed railway carriage Marcel Pilet-Golaz, made an ill-fated speech. SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone in the small town of La Charité-sur-Loire, He said: “We are greatly relieved that our 10 GENERAL HENRI GUISAN

Guisan warned against the emerging defeat- ism among the soldiers, the politicians and even the Swiss people. The general called for “the will to resist any external attack and in- ternal threats, such as the country relaxing its efforts and becoming defeatist”. Guisan then mapped out the new national defence strategy – the creation of a military réduit, or fortress, around the Gotthard. A large part of the army would withdraw to this area to defend the strategically important alpine passes. “On the Rütli, the general emerged as a na- tional leader fi gure”, wrote the military his- torian Hans-Rudolf Kurz. Professor Edgar Bonjour sees the Rütli address as a “decisive turning-point in the history of the Second World War”. The general addressed the na- tion on the radio on 1 August, Swiss National Day. He said: “Are we able to resist? This question is unworthy of a Swiss citizen and most defi nitely of a soldier.”

Withdrawal to the mountains In June 1940, Switzerland was surrounded neighbour has resolved to pursue a peaceful Rütli – call for resistance by Axis powers. The fronts that the Swiss course.” Europe would now have to estab- As no-one yet knew of the offi cers’ con- army had to defend were so long that German lish a new balance, he said, explaining: “Cit- spiracy, General Guisan made an historic de- and Italian troops could have invaded at any izens of Switzerland, it is your duty to follow cision. On 25 July 1940, the paddle steamer, point. “The shortcomings in tank and aero- the government as a reliable and devoted the “Luzern”, took all Swiss army command- plane defences would not have enabled the leader who will not always be able to explain ers up to the rank of major over the lake to army to engage in battles in the Central Pla- and justify its decisions.” Pilet-Golaz made the historic site on the Rütli Meadow. teau”, wrote Hans-Rudolf Kurz. A new mili- no mention of democracy, independence, Around 420 offi cers – the entire army lead- tary strategy had to be found. Colonel Oscar freedom or neutrality. The radio address ership – gathered around in a semi-circle Germann drafted the decisive memorandum: came over as a capitulation and as an accept- with a view over the lake and the Gotthard the army is to be stationed in the Alps to wait ance of the “new Europe”. The general re- railway. Guisan gave a short, largely impro- for Hitler’s main offensive and to counterat- mained silent for a month after the Swiss vised speech. “We have reached a watershed tack. General Guisan, not a man for rash de- President’s gloomy speech. moment in our history. Switzerland’s very cisions, hesitated. He was concerned about For August R. Lindt, who went on to be- existence is at stake”, began the general. The the diffi culty of providing supplies of muni- come Swiss ambassador to the US and UN address focused on two key issues – the will tions and food and about relinquishing such a High Commissioner, the speech was a “crush- to resist and the new defence strategy. large part of the country to the enemy. ing” blow. In that time devoid of leadership, a number of courageous men formed a secret Picture above: On the Rütli meadow – the symbol of offi cer association and demanded uncondi- Swiss independence – General Henri Guisan assem- tional resistance. This was a conspiracy bled his senior offi cers on 25 July 1940 to outline the réduit strategy. against the Federal Council – and also against the general. Alfred Ernst, August R. Lindt, Picture left: Swiss soldiers receiving the order to march in Geneva during the 1939 mobilisation. Max Waibel and Hans Hausamann were the After news of Germany’s attack on Poland in the key fi gures behind the secret association of early hours of 1 September 1939, the Federal Coun- cil, in agreement with General Guisan, ordered the 25 offi cers and sub-offi cers. However, the general mobilisation of the army on 2 September. plot was leaked and the general was informed. Guisan received the leaders of the conspir- Picture right: The funeral procession for Henri Guisan, who passed away on 7 April 1960, at “Place acy and punished them leniently with 5 to 15 de la Riponne” in front of the “Palais de Rumine” in ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 days of military confi nement. In his heart, he Lausanne. was actually proud of the brave offi cers and shook each of them by the hand. SWISS REVIEW A Photos: Keystone 11

On 9 July 1940, the general decided in fa- thank God that our nation has been spared Guisan was calling for tighter controls on the vour of the réduit strategy and informed the the horrors of war. Soldiers, you have served press. He was denied the introduction of ex- government three days later. Guisan justi- your country honourably.” tensive censorship by the Federal Council. fi ed his strategy after the war. The “cost of On 4 June, the general called on the Fed- The military verdict on the general is not entry” had to be so high that any invader eral Assembly to introduce the end of active entirely positive either. His secret negotia- would be put off “because he would never service on 20 August and to discharge him tions with the French army and, above all, have taken our alpine passes intact”. In sum- from offi ce. Before a convened Parliament, the Germans’ discovery of the fi les showed mer 1941, all nine divisions of the army as the President said: “As a man of duty, Gen- that the general had taken too great a risk well as the mountain brigades had joined the eral, you have proven yourself a man of good- here, according to Hans-Rudolf Kurz. When réduit, which stretched from the Sargans ness and great humanity. Switzerland is Switzerland was surrounded by Axis powers stronghold in the east to the stronghold of proud of you.” On the previous day, General in late summer 1940 and elite German troops St. Maurice in Valais. In the centre stood the Guisan had ordered that all army ensigns and stood on the western border, the Federal Gotthard stronghold. There were bunkers, standards should be brought to Berne as a fi - Council and the general ordered the demo- tank traps and runways everywhere. The nal military gesture. At the end of the mov- bilisation of around two thirds of the forces, railway lines through Gotthard and Simplon ing celebration on the Bundesplatz to mark probably as a gesture to Berlin. However, were prepared for destruction. According to the end of active service, everyone stood Hitler was thinking of conquering Switzer- Hans-Rudolf Kurz, the withdrawal of the bareheaded and sang the national anthem. land at that time. In March 1943, the famous army into the mountains meant the almost SS General Schellenberg met with the Swiss uncontested relinquishment of around four A life slightly tainted commander-in-chief at the Bären restaurant fi fths of the Swiss population, industry and What is history’s verdict on the Swiss ar- in Biglen, canton of Berne. During this pri- state assets. my’s senior lieutenant general in the Second vate meeting, Guisan reaffi rmed to Hitler’s Switzerland’s security situation remained World War? There are some reservations confi dant that Switzerland fi rmly intended precarious until spring 1941. However, a sur- from a political perspective. The general to defend its borders (against the Allies as prise attack by Hitler on Switzerland could “tolerated” democracy as a form of govern- well). In return, he expected an assurance still not be ruled out, as the historian Klaus ment, according to Markus Somm, he kept that Germany would not attack Switzerland, Urner proved. The remaining years of the his distance from Parliament, he thought the enabling him to demobilise large parts of the war until 1945 were hard, anxious ones for government lacked strong leadership and he army. the Swiss people. The landing of the Allied did not hold the parties in very high regard. Despite these reservations, biographer forces in North Africa and Germany’s occu- Despite certain sympathies with an author- Willi Gautschi believes history’s verdict on pation of Northern Italy increased the im- itarian, corporative state regime, Guisan Henri Guisan as a general and as a man is that portance of the alpine passes once more. The never left the path of democracy. Guisan al- he was a “father of the Swiss nation”, even Allies’ invasion of Normandy and the Allied ways held the French marshal Pétain, victor during his lifetime. The people and the army landing in the south of France in 1944 ended at the battle of Verdun in the First World were completely united by the general dur- the encirclement of Switzerland by Axis War and a head of state in Hitler-friendly ing a diffi cult time. Rising above all political powers. The army left the réduit to march France, in high regard. In autumn 1937, when and ideological boundaries, Guisan appeared back to the borders. he was a lieutenant general, he invited the as an “outstanding fi gure of integration for marshal to army manoeuvres. Even in 1941, the Swiss people, an undisputed symbol of Soldiers of Switzerland! he sent him an admiring letter on his birth- the spirit of resistance, unity and avoidance The German army surrendered on 8 May day. Guisan met the fascist leader Mussolini of war”. 1945. In his daily command, the general de- in 1934 while visiting Italian manoeuvres. clared: “Soldiers of Switzerland! We should “He was very friendly towards me and Swit- zerland”, he said after the war. Markus DOCUMENTATION Somm believes that Guisan allowed himself Willi Gautschi: General Henri Guisan. Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich 1989, out of print to be duped by the Duce. Markus Somm: General Guisan. Stämpfl i Verlag, Berne Guisan’s attitude towards the Federal 2010, CHF 49, EUR 29.80 Council’s asylum policy hardly covers him in Klaus Urner: Die Schweiz muss noch geschluckt wer- den. Hitlers Aktionspläne gegen die Schweiz. Zurich glory. “The military believed these foreign- 1990 ers represented a threat to public security”, Hans-Rudolf Kurz: General Guisan und die Kriegsparte- ien, in: General Guisan und der zweite Weltkrieg wrote the magazine L’Hebdo. According to 1939-1945. Berne 1974 the Bergier Commission, more than 20,000 Raymond Gafner: General Guisan. Gespräche. Zwölf Sendungen von Radio Lausanne. Berne 1953 refugees, including many Jews, were turned Library am Guisanplatz www.gs-vbs.admin.ch away at the border. Was the general aware Documentation centre www.doku-.ch of this? Most certainly – the army ques- ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 tioned German deserters who had fl ed the Holocaust. The general, like other offi cers, mainly blamed the press for the strained re- SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone lationship with Germany. As early as 1941, 12 ALBERT ANKER ON THE CENTENARY OF HIS DEATH

En route to the forbidden paradise fuse those who are complicated. He himself With a comprehensive exhibition, the Museum of Fine Arts in did not follow the easy road. Having grown up in the educated family of a vet, he stud- Berne is offering a unique opportunity to discover and redis- ied theology as his father wished, agonising cover Albert Anker, one of Switzerland’s major artists. His over his longing to become an artist: “Art paintings are a key part of Swiss art history. seems like a forbidden paradise to me”, he wrote. He fi nally became a pupil of Charles By Annemarie Monteil Gleyre, which made him happy, but left him with a bad conscience. To his disappointed Albert Anker (1831-1910), from Ins in Berne, sive strategists, Anker represents a folklore father he remained “my painter contre-co- is as much a part of Switzerland as the Alps that is no longer relevant. They see the fact eur”. and yodelling. Reproductions of his portraits that Christoph Blocher, a politician from the This made his success even more signifi - of children and village scenes are well-known Swiss People’s Party (SVP), owns a quarter cant. Anker was able to exhibit at the much- from calendars, school books and living of the paintings in the exhibition as confi r- coveted “Salon”, whereas Manet, Degas and rooms. Of late, his “country lad” has featured mation of this. Opponents of an “ideal world” Monet were rejected. He lived in Paris in the on an 85 cent stamp, and the Museum of Fine see Anker’s paintings as deceiving idylls. For winter months, he was well versed in topics Arts in Berne is organising a major retrospec- others, the reading grandfather supersedes ranging from Plato to Darwin and he spoke tive to mark the centenary of his death. An- attending church. Snobs say “nothing new French with his friends. In the summer, he ker would appear to be an undeniably impor- there”, while young people are captivated lived and painted in his grandparents’ house tant fi gure. This is refl ected in the high prices and want to know more. in Ins, popular and revered. His genre paint- achieved at auction, yet in conversation peo- These contrasting opinions are no re- ings were in keeping with contemporary ple are rather underwhelmed. For progres- proach to Anker. True simplicity can con- tastes. In the emerging federal state, Anker -

«Mädchen, die Haare fl echtend». Anker gives equal attention to the book, cloth «Grossvater mit schlafender Enkelin». Critics say Anker only painted old people and plait: not fastidious realism but an inclination towards the everyday things and children. They were the only models who had time to sit for him instead of in life. working the land. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010

«Schreibunterricht II». Learning to write is not an easy task and certainly no «Tee und Cognac». In his still life paintings, Albert Anker draws inspiration from idyll. 200 years ago and the master Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin. SWISS REVIEW A Photos: Museum of Fine Arts in Berne, Litteris © Pro 13

like Calame, Koller and Zünd - was a voice dren often look stern or precocious, old peo- every thing seems equally important to the for the nation. “Armensuppe” (Distribution ple are thin-lipped, and the farmers still have artist - the little face bent over the writing tab- of Soup to the Poor) symbolises Switzer- dirt under their fi ngernails even in their Sun- let and the apple for break time, the grand- land’s humanitarian tradition and the “Schul- day best. Forbidden paradise? parents’ wrinkles and knitted stockings. It is spaziergang” (School Promenade) embodies Perhaps we get closest to Anker in his por- this engaging outlook on life which gives or- Pestalozzi’s liberal approach to education. traits, which make up the biggest part of his dinary people and things a brilliant majesty, Paintings of dead children were popular. An- work. With slightly conventional elegance, turns intimacy into art and still life into rural ker depicted a small group of children weep- he painted urban ladies and gentlemen as his icons. The painting is soft and airy, and an in- ing softly around a small corpse: “Die tote clients wanted. The portraits - like some describable light pervades everything: no Freundin” (The Little Friend) is a piece of genre paintings - seem somewhat academic “prohibition” here, just paintings of paradise. theatrical melodrama, along with its title. and laboured (was he still trying to please his Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Anker later painted his own dead child using father?). Despite the fi neness of the brush- Berne until 5 September 2010. Albert Anker - vivid art far removed from popular taste, and strokes, layer upon layer, the texture of the Beautiful World catalogue CHF 58 in the dark background he inscribed “liebe art seems too restrained. As though he were liebe Ruedeli” (my dearest Ruedeli). performing a duty. He once sent a wealthy ANKER GOLD COIN That is another side to Anker. It is impos- businessman to a photographer, saying he The Federal Mint Swissmint is dedicating the sible to make sweeping statements about him. did “not do such work on command”. offi cial 2010 gold coin to Albert Anker to Even the title of the exhibition in Berne, It was an altogether different matter with mark the year commemorating the famous “Schöne Welt” (Beautiful World), falls short the people from the village, whom Anker Swiss artist. The special coin with a face of the mark. Anker painted neither a happy would invite into his studio – this was fi ne por- value of 50 Swiss francs is available from all nor a beautiful world. Many of his paintings trait work. Is the secret of great art empathy? banks and coin dealers. It is limited edition. are tinged with a slight melancholy. The chil- Feeling a connection? In wondrous unity, www.swissmint.ch

«Der Trinker». There is nothing cheery about old age. Reality is refl ected in «Der Seifenbläser». It is not just the motif but also the glimmering, silky appli- Anker’s work. cation of paint (visible in the original) that gives the bubble the magical air of weightlessness. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010

«Der Schulspaziergang». In 1872, Albert Anker, himself a member of the School «Der Schneebär». The artist knows the Bernese well. They don’t build snowmen, Supervisory Board, called for mandatory co-educational schooling. but instead “snow bears”, their heraldic animal. SWISS REVIEW A Photos: Museum of Fine Arts in Berne, Litteris © Pro 14 NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT

Despite major diffi culties, the FDFA was able to provide effective help to Swiss

The earthquake in Haiti – protection for ■ to manage the search for and identifi cation of Swiss citizens, Swiss citizens ■ to organise on-the-spot help for Swiss citizens in need (in cooper- ation with the Social Aid for Swiss Citizens Resident Abroad Unit of the Federal Offi ce of Justice), 1. Successful mission on behalf of Swiss citizens in Haiti ■ to assist persons wishing to leave the country with repatriation us- The earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010 caused large-scale de- ing all available means. In cooperation with the local representations, struction to buildings and infrastructure, cost more than 250,000 the Consular Protection Section of Political Affairs Division VI co- lives, according to Haitian estimates, and left thousands more people ordinated the return of Swiss citizens and organised medical care for homeless. One hundred and thirty Swiss citizens were registered with the injured as well as their subsequent repatriation to Switzerland. the embassy in Port-au-Prince before the earthquake struck. In to- In order to help relieve the workload on the embassies in Port-au- tal, just over 200 Swiss were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake Prince and Santo Domingo, the FDFA’s crisis centre dispatched a (including tourists, unregistered persons and business travellers). total of eight staff from the crisis mission pool to Port-au-Prince and Contact was established with 199 of them. Four people were reported injured. One person remains missing despite intensive, ongoing search efforts. Guidelines on emergency provisions: Directly after news of the earthquake broke, the crisis centre at the FDFA’s Political Affairs Division VI, in parallel and in close cooper- ation with the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit of the Swiss Agency for RISE – Development and Cooperation (SDC), set up a 24-hour crisis unit. R egister and notify Shortly afterwards, this was strengthened by the other sections con- I nform contacts cerned within the FDFA, FDJP and DDPS. The mandate of the cri- S tockpile supplies sis unit was: E xercise a proactive approach

■ Register with the Swiss representation responsible for you on your arrival in the foreign country (www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/ home/reps.html).

■ Notify the Swiss representation immediately of changes of ad- dress, additions to the family, deaths, changes to your civil sta- tus and changes to your contact details (telephone, e-mail, work and home addresses). If you are passing through, inform the rep- resentation of where you will be staying or your travel route and let the representation know how you can be contacted. ■ Provide the Swiss representation with as much contact infor- mation as possible concerning contact persons – your closest rel- atives and friends – in the country abroad and in Switzerland. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 You must make sure you respond to corresponding question- ce naires from the representation and complete the question sheets as fully as possible. It is in your own interests to do so. Photos: Press Offi Photos: Press SWISS REVIEW A Staff on the FDFA hotline providing information. 15

citizens in need in Haiti.

Santo Domingo. The fi rst two pool members arrived in the crisis area, wanted to leave by land on fi ve buses and by air in a Swiss Humani- which was diffi cult to access, just hours after the earthquake. The cri- tarian Aid Unit helicopter to Santo Domingo. Twenty of this group sis centre immediately set up a hotline number at the head offi ce returned to Switzerland and were looked after by the DDPS’ Fed- which received calls from concerned family members around the eral Offi ce for Civil Protection immediately on arrival. clock, recorded search and response messages, compared these and forwarded them on an ongoing basis to our representation in Port- 2. What lessons can be learned from the mission? au-Prince for processing. The mission on behalf of Swiss citizens in Haiti can be regarded as Under exceptionally diffi cult conditions (collapse of telecommu- a success in light of the smooth management of the repatriation op- nications infrastructure, lack of fuel, interrupted electricity supply, eration. That said, the Swiss embassy in Port-au-Prince did face dif- shortage of food and water, widespread destruction), our embassy in fi culties in the search for Swiss nationals and in providing support to Port-au-Prince succeeded in locating Swiss nationals in the country, those wishing to leave. Some of these obstacles were unavoidable and providing care for the four injured and evacuating the 37 people who are explained by the extraordinary nature of the disaster. Others were self-infl icted and could have been avoided through careful prepara- tion for a crisis situation by all Swiss citizens residing abroad. What hindered the search for Swiss nationals and assistance with ■ Always keep a small supply of cash available at home in a safe leaving the country? place. Keep a supply of drinking water and food and, if necessary, The earthquake temporarily caused a complete failure of the tele- a supply of fuel which will last for the fi rst few days of a crisis. communications system. Owing to the temporary loss of the local Keep an emergency kit at the ready which contains a radio, bat- fi xed network, the mobile communications network and satellite con- teries, a torch, a change of clothing, personal hygiene items, a nections, the embassy was unable to reach Swiss citizens. Only com- fi rst aid kit and your travel documents (passport). Make sure you munication via the Internet was possible. take out accident and illness insurance covering medical ex- The record of registered persons at the embassy did not correspond penses in the event of injury. to the current status of Swiss citizens residing in the country because the registrations were not up-to-date. Some Swiss nationals had left ■ Exercise a proactive approach yourself in a crisis situation and without giving the embassy notice of their departure, while others wherever possible immediately provide notice of your status to had arrived without registering with the embassy. the Swiss representation or the FDFA’s crisis team in Berne, ei- The addresses entered in the records were inaccurate owing to a ther by telephone via the FDFA’s hotline available in emergency lack of precise information provided by those registered. The records situations (031 325 33 33) or via the search mask published on often contained no precise address details (street, house number). the FDFA’s website (www.eda.admin.ch). This made the search for Swiss citizens more diffi cult amidst the widespread devastation. ■ The authorities in certain risk areas (e.g. areas at risk of earth-

quake) have crisis management provisions. Please take the Inserat proactive step of contacting the local authorities for this infor- mation and follow their instructions. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 ce Photos: Press Offi Photos: Press SWISS REVIEW A 16 NOTES FROM PARLIAMENT

It took several days to defi nitively confi rm the status of many Swiss tarian aid (CHF 20 million) and the 2008 credit line for development nationals as many had departed individually without notifying the cooperation (CHF 15.9 million). The aid between 2010 and 2012 will embassy. therefore total CHF 35.9 million, in addition to CHF 55 million in Some Swiss citizens were affected by shortages of food and drink- donations raised directly by Swiss Solidarity and its partner organi- ing water shortly after the earthquake. A lack of cash was also evident sations. as the earthquake destroyed banks and disrupted automatic cash dis- pensers.

3. Individual emergency provisions NEW POPULAR INITIATIVES AND REFERENDA With a view to improving individual preparations for various kinds By the time of going to press, the following new popular initiatives of future emergency situations (natural catastrophes, other major had been launched since the last edition: events and political unrest, etc.), the FDFA’s Political Affairs Divi- sion VI has produced brief guidelines which should facilitate cooper- ■ “Für ein liberales Rauchergesetz” (For a liberal smoking law), initia- ation for you and the FDFA in the event of future crises. (see box). tive committee: IG Freie Schweizer Wirte, deadline for collection of Thank you for taking note of this advice. signatures: 23.08.2011. Christoph Späti, Political Affairs Division VI ■ “Neue Arbeitsplätze dank erneuerbaren Energien (Cleantech-Initia- tive)” (New employment thanks to renewable energies (Cleantech Ini- UN reconstruction conference in New York: tiative)), initiative committee: Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, deadline for collection of signatures: 16.09.2011. Switzerland to support Haiti with 90 million Swiss francs ■ “Schluss mit der MwSt-Diskriminierung des Gastgewerbes” (End to VAT discrimination in the hotel and catering industry), initiative com- Switzerland is committed to providing long-term support for mittee: “Schluss mit der MwSt-Diskriminierung des Gastgewerbes” in- Haiti. Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for ter-party committee, deadline for collection of signatures: 07.10.2011. Development and Cooperation, underlined Switzerland’s solidar- ity with the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean country at the UN ■ “Schutz vor Rasern” (Protection against speeding drivers), initiative Donors’ Conference in New York on 31 March 2010. The federal committee: RoadCross Schweiz, deadline for collection of signatures: government will contribute a total of CHF 35.9 million to the re- 27.10.2011. building of Haiti up to 2012, while an additional CHF 55 million will come from donations collected directly by Swiss Solidarity and ■ “Für ein bedingungsloses Grundeinkommen fi nanziert durch Ener- its partner organisations. gielenkungsabgaben” (For an unconditional basic income fi nanced by energy incentive taxes), initiative committee: “Für ein bedin- The Swiss delegation headed by Martin Dahinden, Director-Gen- gungsloses Grundeinkommen fi nanziert durch Energielenkungsabga- eral of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, presented ben” initiative committee, Ms Gabriela Coray, deadline for collection its programme to support the people of Haiti at the “Towards a New of signatures: 19.11.2011. Future for Haiti” ministerial conference on 31 March in New York. In addition to humanitarian aid, Switzerland will also support Haiti ■ “Wenden wir die Menschenrechte an auf Frauen und Männer = Sch- with its long-term reconstruction plans. At the conference, Martin weiz” (Let’s apply human rights to men and women = Switzerland), in- Dahinden indicated where Switzerland will focus its efforts: “In the itiative committee: “Wenden wir die Menschenrechte an auf Frauen wake of the devastating earthquake, Switzerland provided Haiti with und Männer = Schweiz” initiative committee, deadline for collection support through the biggest emergency aid operation ever carried out of signatures: 19.11.2011. by Switzerland. What is more, Switzerland will also help the country with its reconstruction efforts. We anticipate that the rebuilding of By the time of going to press, no referenda were pending. social infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, the development of rural regions and the security of food supplies will represent the At www.bk.admin.ch/aktuell/abstimmung you will fi nd a list of pend- main challenges for the long-term reconstruction programme.” ing referenda and popular initiatives and the corresponding signature Switzerland will follow the guidelines of the UN’s reconstruction forms if available. Please complete, sign and send the forms directly action plan for Haiti. To ensure these efforts do not focus exclusively to the relevant initiative committee. on the capital Port-au-Prince, Switzerland will also support decen- tralised projects in synchronisation with the intentions of the Hai- tian government. Switzerland has been running a cooperation offi ce in Port-au-Prince since 2005 and is therefore very familiar with con- ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 ditions in the country. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OFFICIAL FDFA INFORMATION PAGES: Switzerland’s contribution to the economic, social and political re- JEAN-FRANÇOIS LICHTENSTERN, SERVICE FOR THE SWISS ABROAD/FDFA, BUNDESGASSE 32, CH-3003 BERNE construction will be fi nanced by the restructuring of existing frame- TEL. +41 31 324 23 98, FAX +41 31 322 78 66

SWISS REVIEW A work credits and will be covered by the 2006 credit line for humani- WWW.EDA.ADMIN.CH/ASD, [email protected] THE SWISS OPEN-AIR MUSEUM BALLENBERG 17

Ballenberg: A journey in time through rural Switzerland The Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg is actually nothing like a museum. Switzerland’s rural heritage is brought back to life in all its glory, giving visitors an insight into how things once were. By Heinz Eckert

Following the trail around Ballenberg does life, while the tradesmen give an insight into All the buildings at the open-air museum not feel like visiting a museum. Yet it takes how people used to bake bread, make lace, were in danger in their original locations and visitors around Switzerland’s largest open- weave, make cheese and produce roof shin- could not be conserved there. They were air museum, extending across one of the gles in the countryside. It smells of freshly carefully taken down and reconstructed in most idyllic parts of the Bernese Oberland. sawn wood and iron wrought in the smithy. Ballenberg true to the original. Here they are Were it not for the entrance area with its Visitors are also able to sample the many cu- surrounded by historical cottage gardens, ticket booths, it would take visitors a while linary delights. meadows and fi elds with original varieties of to realise they were in an open-air fl owers, herbs, fruit trees and museum. Perhaps only the absence plants long forgotten or in dan- of parked cars would remind them ger of dying out. that they were already “inside”. Various special exhibitions The surrounding area is almost as provide fascinating and unex- picturesque and well-maintained pected insights into partly lost as the open-air museum itself. The customs of rural Switzerland. Fi- transition from the neighbouring nally, 250 farm animals bring the hamlets to the Ballenberg open-air stables and pastures to life. In museum, which is managed and addition to chickens, ducks, maintained on the basis of scien- goats, pigeons, pigs and cattle, tifi c principles and monument animal breeds threatened with conservation ideals, is almost extinction have also found a seamless. “Swiss Open-Air Mu- home at Ballenberg. They in- seum Ballenberg – the Experience” clude the peacock goat, Swiss is the advertising slogan and it de- mirror sheep, Rhaetian grey cat- livers what it promises. tle, a variety of downy-haired The Foundation of the Swiss pigs, Diepholz geese and many Open-Air Museum Ballenberg more besides. was founded in summer 1968 with The fi rst open-air museum, the support of federal government the “Skansen”, opened in Swe- and the canton of Berne. The mu- den in 1891. Many such estab- seum was offi cially opened in 1978 lishments have since opened with 16 exhibits in a park-like en- around the world. They all share vironment, overlooking Lake the same goal – to secure and Brienz. The museum has since preserve traditional buildings been extended continually. Today, and to provide an insight into over 100 historical exhibits and them and what lay inside with houses from almost all cantons are authentic fittings, furniture, on display. Ballenberg is Switzer- equipment and tools. Nowhere land’s only open-air museum for is this goal better achieved than rural life. at the Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg is most certainly not Ballenberg. a dusty collection of rare items. In- It is well worth spending an stead, it is full of life and hustle and entire day at Ballenberg. bustle. Everything in this open-air Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg museum is alive, every step pro- CH-3855 Brienz vides an experience. All the build- www.ballenberg.ch ings are furnished in keeping with [email protected] ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 period style and can be explored. Living rooms, kitchens and bed- rooms give visitors the opportu- SWISS REVIEW A Photos: Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg nity to discover traditional ways of 18 FOR AND AGAINST DIALECT

Does Swiss German represent a threat to French-speaking spect in day-to-day broadcasting and takes Switzerland? the view that foreigners living in Switzerland should not necessarily speak Swiss German, There is constantly debate in French-speaking Switzerland as to but they should understand it. whether Swiss German is taking over and posing a threat to mul- tilingualism in Switzerland. Iwar Werlen, professor of linguistics Do you share this view? Yes, I hold the same opinion actually. Ger- at the University of Berne, does not share these fears. But bilin- man-speaking Swiss speak dialect and those gual journalist Peter Rothenbühler in Lausanne takes a different who want to communicate with them in day- view in his essay on the issue. Interview by Heinz Eckert to-day life should understand this dialect. That applies to both Swiss and foreign citi- zens. This should not present a problem, par- ticularly for Germans, as there are also many dialects in Germany and Bavarians, for ex- ample, are understood everywhere.

But shouldn’t all German-speaking Swiss be “swiss review”: Do you understand the anxi- able not just to read High German, but also to ety in French-speaking Switzerland that Swiss speak it? German is increasingly being spoken at the ex- Absolutely. I don’t understand the view- pense of High German and this is jeopardising point of some teachers who always claim that Switzerland’s linguistic diversity? the fi rst foreign language taught in German- iwar werlen: I’d have to say yes and no. speaking Switzerland is High German. Fears are constantly being expressed that That’s not right. In my view, Swiss German Switzerland’s linguistic diversity is under and High German are two forms of the same threat, but they are only justifi ed to an ex- language which should both be maintained. tent. Swiss German is our spoken mother tongue and High German is the mother tongue we But is it true that more and more dialect is be- read and write in. German-speaking Swiss ing spoken? should have a good command of both. Yes, this trend has been clearly evident since the mid-1960s. Dialect is being spoken How important is it that Swiss German is in more and more situations where High maintained and spoken as correctly as possible? German was previously used, such as in Professor Iwar Werlen “Correctness” depends on how you look at schools, at church and in the media, etc. Di- it. I see languages as a means of communica- alect has also become very popular today in also had an impact on the use of language: for- tion which are constantly changing and pop and rock music and in the rap scene. And mal and rigid High German is avoided and adapting to new requirements. I don’t think young people, in particular, write almost all people express themselves verbally and in it really matters whether you say “Frühstück” their text messages and e-mails in Swiss Ger- writing in the simplest way possible. or “Zmorge” (breakfast), “Lunch” or “Zmit- man. tag” (lunch), “Anke” or “Butter” (butter). Don’t you think that it is bizarre that the news Just look at the language of young people and How would you explain this shift towards dia- programme “10vor10” has to be broadcast with how it is forever changing. The term “geil” lect? German subtitles when it is repeated on the in- (cool) used to be in, then it was “mega” again, Fashion plays a major role, undoubtedly – ternational, joint German-language channel, and at one time everything was “super”. The this sense of “Swissness” and the desire to cre- 3sat, so that it can be understood in Austria and main thing is understanding. ate an individual identity and stand apart Germany? from other countries, not least Germany. This is probably explained by the fact that Swiss people abroad are often asked about mul- There have also been general changes in soci- “Schweizer Fernsehen DRS” sees itself as a tilingualism in Switzerland. Are the Swiss ety, with a shift from formal to informal be- regional language broadcaster and produces people at home actually aware how valuable haviour, which is refl ected in the loss of cer- “10vor10” as infotainment. The news pro- this diversity is and how important it is to pre- tain manners, social conventions and etiquette, gramme “Tagesschau” at any rate is pro- serve it? for example. Dress codes that once applied duced exclusively in High German. But it’s I don’t think many of us actually realise are no longer observed, old people now have true that awareness within the SRG for how different our approach to languages is ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 to stand on public transport as well and even maintaining Switzerland’s linguistic diver- to that of many other European countries. ce in good restaurants women are no longer sity is low. The “Idée Suisse” concept may Of course, not all Swiss people speak four served before men. All these things were taken be marketed by the SRG, but it does not do languages, as some foreigners might think, SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Press Offi Photo: Press for granted in the past. These attitudes have enough to meet its responsibility in this re- but surveys have shown that most Swiss have 19

a fairly good command of one or two foreign The linguistic defi ance of the German-speaking Swiss languages, the highest fi gure in Europe. By Peter Rothenbühler* However, we tend not to fully exploit our po- French-speaking Swiss complain from time to time that it is tential – and that goes for both French and diffi cult for them to learn German correctly while people in German-speaking Swiss. Berne and Zurich constantly answer them in Swiss German or Do you think that French and German speak- in English, when it would be easier to use a national language, ers in Switzerland will one day only communi- such as High German or French, in such situations. cate in English? It adds up actually. Dialects are wonderful but should be used That is already the case in certain sectors privately. When conversing with people from other parts of and in the sciences. But that certainly won’t the country or indeed other countries or when communicating become a normal occurrence. The key thing using electronic media, a generally acceptable lingua franca is to take a more relaxed approach to lan- should be used, just like everywhere else in the world. guages, to experiment more and perhaps Unfortunately, it would seem that this is not possible of all places in a country known even use a combination of Swiss German, worldwide for its multilingualism. The problem is not so much the diffi culties that French- High German and French if all else fails. speaking Swiss have with Swiss German. Could and should the government do more to The problem is more that the German-speaking Swiss have a major issue with High German promote understanding of linguistic diversity? and refuse even to speak the fi rst national language. This phenomenon is globally unique. Yes, I believe it’s very important that cul- It constitutes a real defi ance which is now being supported by linguists. In the interview tural exchange between the linguistic regions opposite, Professor Iwar Werlen explains that the German-speaking Swiss use two forms of is promoted by the cantons and made com- the same language: “Swiss German is our spoken mother tongue and High German is the pulsory. If French speakers spend a few mother tongue we read and write in.” However, anyone wishing to communicate with Ger- weeks or months in St. Gallen or someone man-speaking Swiss has to learn Swiss German, or at least learn to understand it. from Uri spends time in Lausanne, they will According to Professor Werlen, there are two half-mother tongues, one for verbal commu- automatically establish a different relation- nication and one for written use. He makes no mention of High German being spoken. ship with the other language and learn it with greater enjoyment and commitment. The You might fi nd it extremely cool or “u-geil” that Zurich’s youth (including people up to 60) state-funded media should also meet their speak “Zürialbanisch”, a form of Zurich German with Albanian intonation, but that’s not a responsibilities more. new dialect, it’s more of an ethnolect. Yes, that’s the best term for it linguistically. Of course, it is interesting to observe the trend where German-speaking Swiss today write And what would you say to the anxious text messages in anything but German and automatically switch to English in an exchange, French-speaking Swiss? not because the other person (a French-speaking Swiss, for example) would understand I believe one of the problems between the this better, but because they would lose face if they were to use High German. two language communities lies in how they re- The growing refusal by German-speaking Swiss to use their cultural language verbally also gard the dialect. Many French speakers fi nd it has signifi cant consequences. Not for the French-speaking Swiss, but for the German- inconceivable that educated people can use speaking Swiss themselves. They no longer have a proper command of their own language such a “barbaric” form of language. It is the task of German teachers in French-speaking Swit- and they are also losing the ability to write correctly. Over the long term, this will inevita- zerland to change this perception. German as bly lead to English emerging as the main lingua franca. This would undermine the impor- it exists in German-speaking Switzerland also tance of two national languages, German and French. Question for the politicians: Is that needs to be recognised. This involves address- what we really want? ing the issue of dialects in teaching. Antonio The SRG, which until recently was still called “Idee Suisse”, has also contributed enor- Hodgers, the Green National Councillor from mously to this trend. Dialect is still spoken on key information programmes (contrary to Geneva, has come to share this viewpoint. Af- the licence), encouraging the linguistic regression of the population. ter being elected to the Federal Parliament, he Yet miraculously a salvation is on the horizon, once again from abroad. Of all people the moved to Berne where he soon discovered that large numbers of German immigrants, from whom we have tried to differentiate ourselves the High German he had learned in school was by clinging onto our dialect, are reintroducing the spoken use of our “mother tongue”, not much use to him. He recommends that French-speaking Swiss learn Swiss German. High German, in Switzerland. A little tip for the French-speaking Swiss – there are cafés in On the other hand, it would also stand Ger- Zurich where everyone speaks High German. And “Arena” will soon be subtitled, not in man-speaking Swiss in good stead to improve English or Russian, but in German! their French in greater numbers. The efforts ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 of the Conference of Cantonal Ministers of ce Education, within the framework of the “Har- *Peter Rothenbühler, 61, a bilingual journalist who grew up in Biel, today lives in Lausanne. He was editor-in- mos” project, are aimed in this direction. They chief of the “SonntagsBlick” and “Schweizer Illustrierte” from 1984 to 2000 and editor-in-chief of “Le Matin” SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Press Offi Photo: Press just need to be put into practice. until 2008. He is currently the deputy editorial director of Edipresse and a columnist.

20 POLITICS

UBS plunged itself and Switzerland into crisis In a treaty with the USA, Switzerland retroactively annulled banking confi denti- ality for 4,500 American clients of UBS. This step enabled the bank to move out of the fi ring line of the US judicial authorities. Domestically, the affair sparked fi erce confrontation between the Swiss parties. The Federal Council, in particu- lar, came in for severe criticism. By René Lenzin

Switzerland has saved its largest bank, However, the Federal Council failed UBS, from the threat of collapse to take account of the Federal Ad- twice within two years. Using emer- ministrative Court, which declared gency legislation, federal govern- the disclosure of the account details ment came to the bank’s rescue with to the US authorities illegal and six billion Swiss francs in October stopped the transfer. The court said 2008 after it had become embroiled that Parliament would fi rstly have to in the US mortgage crisis. At the establish a legal basis for administra- same time, the Swiss National Bank tive assistance on tax evasion. Under relieved UBS of 40 billion dollars of international pressure, Switzerland toxic US securities. National govern- Left-wing politicians demonstrating with vuvuzelas in front had in fact resolved to provide for- ment argued that these measures of the Federal Palace against Parliament’s approval of admin- eign authorities with administrative istrative assistance in the USA-UBS case. were unavoidable as the bankruptcy assistance in cases where reasonable of UBS would have brought the entire econ- civil charges and withdrew its demand for the grounds for suspicion of tax evasion existed omy to its knees. UBS was deemed system- disclosure of the 52,000 client names. At the (see “Swiss Review” 2/2010). However, the relevant and “too big to fail”. This effectively same time, it submitted a new request for ad- corresponding agreements have yet to enter meant that both major banks, UBS and ministrative assistance to Switzerland con- into force. Credit Suisse, were granted state guaran- cerning 4,450 UBS clients. Switzerland un- In light of this, the Federal Council re- tees. dertook to fi lter out cases of tax fraud and solved to present the UBS settlement with On the same premise, federal government serious tax evasion within a year and to pass the USA to Parliament for approval as a also intervened when UBS got itself into hot the details to the US authorities. The Fed- treaty. The National Council and Council of water with the US judicial authorities. Some eral Council claimed this agreement was nec- States passed this treaty in emergency pro- of the bank’s client advisors were accused of essary to save UBS, which was still struggling ceedings in the summer session. This should helping American citizens to avoid taxation, with the impact of the economic crisis, from ensure the timely processing of administra- leading the tax authorities to launch investi- a trial in the USA that it would fi nd almost tive assistance, which should prevent UBS gations into tax fraud. The USA threatened impossible to sustain. from facing further legal action in the USA, UBS with prosecution at the end of 2008 and at least for the time being. However, the ap- demanded the disclosure of 52,000 client Court stops the Federal Council proval of the treaty triggered complex wran- names. In August 2009, Switzerland and the For the clients concerned, the agreement gling between the political parties in Switzer- USA reached agreement on a compromise means that Switzerland would retroactively land. settlement. The USA refrained from fi ling annul banking confi dentiality in their cases. Initially, three camps emerged: the Free

FEDERAL COUNCIL SUBJECTED TO HARSH CRITICISM

Owing to its business practices in cause of the problem, but that on the UBS case over fears of rev- ing UBS by the regulatory au- the USA, UBS was left teetering matters were subsequently han- elations. This mutual mistrust in thorities and his own department, on the brink and caused Switzer- dled poorly by the authorities. national government was still ev- but had not adequately passed land major political problems. The control committees were ident at the beginning of 2009 this information on to the rest of However, the Federal Council’s shocked “that the Federal Coun- when it had to deal with the UBS the Federal Council, for fear of management of this crisis was far cil was clearly unable to work in tax affair in the USA. disclosures in particular, accord- from exemplary. This is the con- an atmosphere of trust and confi - Individual members of the Fed- ing to the report. Foreign Minis- clusion reached by the control dentiality”. In September 2008, eral Council had failed as well as ter Micheline Calmy-Rey and ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 committees of the National Coun- for instance, former Swiss Presi- the body as a whole. Finance Min- Justice Minister Eveline Widmer- cil and the Council of States. In a dent, Pascal Couchepin, ordered ister Hans-Rudolf Merz was the Schlumpf were also guilty of pro- 370-page report, the committees no minutes should be taken for biggest culprit. He had been well viding insuffi cient information, SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone stated that the bank itself was the the Federal Council’s discussions informed about the problems fac- said the control committees. The 21

Democrat-Liberals (FDP) and the Christian Unemployment insurance – balancing the books Democrats (CVP) saw the agreement as un- The economic downturn has caused the unemployment insur- desirable but necessary to prevent UBS and the Swiss economy from facing diffi culties. ance defi cit to widen further. The Federal Council and Parlia- The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) rejected the ment want to bring it under control through additional receipts agreement because it did not want to relin- and benefi t cuts. The unions and the left-wing parties have quish banking confi dentiality. The Social Democrats (SP) and the Greens made their called for a referendum. By René Lenzin approval dependant on special taxes on bo- nuses and stricter regulation of the banks. As the FDP and CVP do not have a parliamen- The fi nancing of Swiss unemployment in- persons who have made contributions for a tary majority by themselves, approval only surance (ALV) is currently based on an aver- maximum of 12 months will receive only 260 seemed possible with concessions to the left. age jobless total of 100,000. However, the fi - as opposed to 400 days of unemployment be- But at the last minute, the SVP changed its gure now stands at over 150,000 and did not nefi t. School-leavers and graduates must mind and gave its backing to the proposal. It even fall below the target average during the wait 120 days before they can claim unem- claimed its decision was based on preventing economic boom. The unemployment ins- ployment benefi ts. Government job creation a tax on bonuses, but critics argued it had urance debts have therefore mounted to programmes will no longer count as contri- bowed to industry pressure. 9 billion Swiss francs. This is not only the re- bution time. sult of the current economic crisis, but also Parliament turned upside down due to a structural defi cit or, in other words, The National Council approved the pro- A paradoxical situation emerged: the SVP, a permanent imbalance between income and posal by 91 votes to 64, and the Council of a vehement defender of banking confi denti- expenditure. These debts are to be reduced States by 32 votes to 12. The Federal Coun- ality, helped to soften Switzerland’s stance through a mixture of higher premiums and cil and the conservative parties see the revi- on this, and the SP, which has criticised it for benefi t adjustments in an effort to restore sion as a well-balanced compromise. The years, was the only party defending it. This the insurance scheme’s fi nances to good Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and the Free De- highlights just how much the debate was health. The following measures are anticipa- mocrats wanted even more drastic benefi t shaped by party political considerations. ted: cuts, but approved the revision in the end in The parties supporting unconditional ap- light of a possible referendum. The issue is proval of the treaty were ultimately trium- More income (CHF 646 million per year): likely to be decided at the ballot box as the phant. However, the issues of high bonuses The deductions from insured income (up to unions, the Social Democrats and the Greens and tighter banking regulation remain on the CHF 126,000) will be increased from 2 to have called for a referendum. They believe table. The parties all agree in principle that 2.2%. One percent will now be levied on the the welfare cuts will punish those who are al- the “too big to fail” issue must be resolved. salary component from CHF 126,000 to ready the most badly hit by the economic The government should never again have to CHF 315,000. downturn. come to the rescue of a major bank. This is If the revision is rejected by the Swiss peo- most likely to be achieved through higher eq- Savings (CHF 622 million per year): Un- ple, the Federal Council will have to in- uity ratios for banks. However, agreement employed persons without children will in crease contributions at the start of 2011, as has yet to be reached on the specifi c form future also be obliged to accept jobs that are unemployment insurance has exceeded the such measures will take. not in line with their qualifi cations. Under- defi cit level permitted by law. However, 25s without maintenance obligations will without saving measures this increase in pre- only be entitled to 200 as opposed to 400 miums will be even higher than provided for days of unemployment benefi t. Unemployed under the revision.

committees reported that, in ad- also recognised the signifi cance focused on the Federal Council’s visory committees do not have dition to the atmosphere of mis- of the US tax issue at an early leadership shortcomings. The the authority to investigate the trust, the Federal Council also stage. However, its investiga- control committees want to see conduct of UBS, they also issued failed to see the bigger picture. tions had been largely based on a national government obliged to recommendations to the bank. The report contained both report commissioned by UBS it- keep minutes, even for confi den- They called on UBS to review its praise and criticism for the fi nan- self, which compromised its inde- tial business. own practices during the crisis. cial market supervisory authority pendence. It should also set up a system for RL (Finma). It had prepared and im- strategic political management ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 plemented the billion-franc UBS UBS needs to review its practices as well as a monitoring and early rescue package well in October The committees’ report ended warning system to improve per- 2008 in cooperation with the with 19 recommendations, 5 pro- formance in crisis situations. Al-

SWISS REVIEW A Swiss National Bank. Finma had posals and 2 postulates. These though the parliamentary super- 22 ORGANISATION OF THE SWISS ABROAD

www.swisscommunity.org: chat – search – fi nd What is OSA’s role in the age of electronic communication platforms? We are answering this question with a global network for the Swiss abroad or, to put it another way, a global virtual community for all Swiss citizens living outside Switzerland.

SwissCommunity was set up by the Organi- tips and offers at www.swisscommunity.org. on events of particular interest to Swiss sation of the Swiss Abroad and is an Internet Swiss associations and institutions abroad abroad, such as the cultural programme of platform for our fellow citizens outside Swit- can use the new platform and SwissCommu- the Swiss embassy in London, fondue eve- zerland. It is a bit like Facebook, Xing or nity to provide information on events and to nings in New York or networking cocktail Linked-In, yet different at the same time. advertise for members. And, for example, parties in Shanghai. Members can also enter The new Swiss abroad club will be an exclu- people from Berne living abroad who want their own events and invite their contacts to sive communication platform specifi cally tai- to exchange experiences with other people them. lored to the requirements of Swiss people liv- from Berne abroad will also have the oppor- OSA’s online community is geared entirely ing abroad. SwissCommunity primarily aims tunity to do so at www.swisscommunity.org. to the needs of Swiss people living outside to facilitate contact between the Swiss We also hope the new network will carry in- Switzerland, regardless of whether they have abroad themselves and with Switzerland. At formation on OSA’s services and its partners’ recently left home or have been living abroad the same time, www.swisscommunity.org offers to a wider audience. for many years. www.swisscommunity.org is also intends to promote communication be- The general aim with www.swisscommu- a comprehensive link to Switzerland and all tween OSA and the communities of Swiss nity.org is to enhance and step up communi- Swiss citizens on all continents – at the click abroad. cation across all national borders. of a mouse and free of charge. The new plat- The key feature will be an online platform www.swisscommunity.org offers an envi- form is also useful for people returning to enabling targeted contact between Swiss ronment for exchanging useful addresses and Switzerland who wish to keep in touch with people abroad and interested parties and in- advice, meeting new people and taking ad- their friends from all over the world. stitutions in Switzerland. We are aiming, for vantage of special offers. Anyone looking to The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad has ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 example, to facilitate contact between the spend their free time with other people or created the new Internet platform in coop- Swiss abroad and their cantons of origin. establish social contacts can do so via Swiss- eration with its partners swissinfo, Switzer- Swiss abroad planning to visit their old Community – one Swiss abroad to another. land Tourism, Mediaparx and ManRey.

SWISS REVIEW A homeland can obtain tourist information, An events calendar will provide information 23

“Switzerland needs why we are talking about a reduction in a this from the pension fund concerned in swissinfo” country like Switzerland where we are good time. It could refuse payment in well aware that translation is vital to en- cash if the person concerned has already Filippo Lombardi, a journalist from Ticino suring good communication and cohe- reached the age at which the pension fund and member of the Council of States, be- sion! provides for the possibility of early retire- lieves swissinfo must be maintained at ment. all costs. He also reminds the Federal Don’t organisations such as Pro Helvetia, However, it is still possible to use sec- Council of its legal obligations and the Economiesuisse, Osec and Presence Switzer- ond-pillar capital to fi nance, build or ren- importance of international information land all have an interest in retaining swiss- ovate a main home or to pay off a mort- to Switzerland. Interview by Heinz Eckert info and supporting it? gage even if the property is located in an Yes, they all need swissinfo. However, EU/EFTA member country. “Swiss Review”: swissinfo once again fi nds cooperation needs to be stepped up and im- Finally, the non-compulsory part of the itself under threat. Can Switzerland with its proved in Switzerland’s interests. second-pillar capital can still be paid out. focus on globalisation afford to do without an If second-pillar capital is withdrawn international media presence? The SRG is faced with fi nancial problems in cash, we recommend taking out an in- Filippo Lombardi: In my opinion, abso- and must make savings. Where do you see po- surance policy to cover invalidity and lutely not! It would be a huge mistake to tential to do so? death. abandon this privileged media site, espe- Not with swissinfo, that’s for sure. If the SARAH MASTANTUONI, cially right now at a time of growing in- SRG uses 1% of its licence fee income on HEAD OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ternational political and media pressure international information, this is exactly in on Switzerland. line with the public service mandate. Or is public service just a means of legitimising Offers for young people and What are swissinfo’s main strengths? licence fees? Under the Radio and Televi- As a journalist, I am impressed by the sion Act 2007, based on a Lombardi pro- projects of the Organisation selection, organisation and presentation posal, federal government is obliged to fi - of the Swiss Abroad of the issues, which are, of course, differ- nance the other half of swissinfo. It is ent for an international readership than therefore remarkable that just three years OSA offers young Swiss people living for a domestic one. I also believe the site’s later the Federal Council is threatening abroad a wide range of opportunities to editorial independence sets the standard to relinquish its legal obligation as part of discover Switzerland and meet young internationally. We can be proud that we its drive for savings. people from all over the world. have such a highly regarded “voice of Switzerland” which is not a government A unique project will take place this au- mouthpiece. Finally, the fact that swiss- OSA advice tumn across Switzerland. Thousands of info appears in nine languages is almost youth groups will be taking part when unique worldwide and this feature should Question: I live abroad; can I withdraw sec- “Action 72 Hours” kicks off on 9 Septem- most defi nitely be retained. Just Russian ond-pillar capital in cash? ber. Swiss from abroad will also be in- is missing in my view. Answer: The situation varies depend- volved and will hopefully be successful in ing on whether someone lives in an EU/ completing the community-interest How important is swissinfo to Switzerland’s EFTA member country or in a country project assigned to them in a race against image abroad? outside the EU/EFTA. the clock. Information on “Action 72 It is vital. Talking to family and friends In the case of residency in an EU/ Hours – and Switzerland goes wild!” is abroad, it has become increasingly clear EFTA member country, it is no longer available at www.72h.ch to me that they really are dependent on possible in principle to withdraw second- swissinfo for keeping their links with pillar capital if the person concerned has Seminar on the Federal Youth Session Switzerland alive. swissinfo explains Swit- compulsory insurance in the country of 09. – 15.11.2009 zerland and its political system to the in- residence for the risks of old age, invalid- Switzerland’s young people have the ternational community, including foreign ity or death. This means, for example, opportunity to infl uence the country’s journalists. It was crucial in the referen- that self-employed persons can withdraw politics. In November, the youth parlia- dum on minarets and also with regard to their second-pillar capital to set up in ment will once again convene in the Fed- banking confi dentiality and the Swiss fi - business if the law in their country of resi- eral Palace. 200 young people will have nancial centre. dence does not provide for compulsory the chance to express their views on cur- insurance for the abovementioned risks rent political issues. OSA is giving young Would it not be suffi cient to just produce for the self-employed. Swiss people abroad the opportunity to ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 swissinfo in the Swiss national languages and Persons living outside an EU/EFTA take part in this event. We will prepare in English? member country can request the with- the young parliamentarians for the ses- Absolutely not! As I said, I’d like to see drawal of their second-pillar capital in sion and provide them with support

SWISS REVIEW A Russian added too. I fail to understand cash. We recommend fi nding out about throughout the week. 24 ORGANISATION OF THE SWISS ABROAD

Swiss abroad can now register for the REGISTRATION FORM FOR THE DRAW FOR JUSKILA LENK (2. – 9.01.2011) 2011 winter camps. Please complete in clear print. First name: Surname: New Year ski camp in Sedrun (Grisons) No., street: Town/city, postcode: 27.12.2010 – 05.01.2011 Country: Date of birth: 60 young people from more than 20 Name of parent(s)/guardian(s): countries will meet in the mountains of ❑ Female ❑ Male Telephone: Grisons. The beautiful ski resort of Sedrun is guaranteed snow. The cosy accommoda- Commune of origin in Switzerland (see Passport/ID): tion is located right in the village. It goes E-mail address of parent(s)/guardian(s): without saying that a lively New Year’s Type of sport* ❑ Alpine skiing ❑ Cross-country skiing ❑ Snowboarding Eve party is also part of the programme. Language of child: ❑ German ❑ French ❑ Italian *Please only tick one box. The type of sport cannot be changed after the draw. Winter sports week in Wengen (Berne) Signature of parent(s)/guardian(s): 26.02. – 05.03.2011 Signature of child: A very special camp will be held in the Please send the form, together with a copy of the Swiss passport of a parent/guardian or of the child, by 15 October Bernese Oberland. Participants of the win- 2010 (date of receipt) to: Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, CH-3006 Berne, Tel. +41 31 356 61 16, ter sports week must be aged 18 and over. Fax +41 31 356 61 01, E-mail: [email protected] Quite a number of regular visitors meet up in Switzerland and enjoy the international atmosphere in the camp and in the ski re- Arolla (Valais) 600 Swiss children, including a number of sort. New faces are more than welcome. Date: Monday, 27 December 2010 to Swiss children living abroad, born in 1996 Wednesday, 5 January 2011 and 1997 will have the opportunity to attend Easter camp in Fiesch (Valais) No. of participants: 36 Swiss Ski’s big ski camp in Lenk free of 16.04. – 24.04.20011 Cost: CHF 900 (contribution to the camp) charge. This will take place between 2 and 9 The sports centre in Fiesch offers Swiss Ski or snowboard hire: Approx. CHF 150 January 2011. To take part in the Juskila trip, abroad magnifi cent facilities, with gyms, Registration deadline: 30 October 2010 Swiss children abroad must be able to com- sports areas and an indoor swimming pool. municate in at least one of the three Swiss na- The conditions on the Fiescheralp are still Registration tional languages (German, French or Ita- ideal for winter sports in April. Skiing in Precise details on the winter camps and lian). The draw only covers the camp itself the spring sunshine is great fun. the registration form will be available from (winter sports coaching, food and accommo- 15 September 2010 at www.sjas.ch (“Our dation). Parents will be responsible for orga- Information on the offers mentioned is forthcoming activities”). Reduced contribu- nising and fi nancing travel to and from the available from: tion rates are available in justifi ed cases. The camp. Applicants will be informed of the out- Organisation of the Swiss Abroad form required can be requested on the regis- come of the draw at the end of October. Youth Service tration form. We are also happy to post you Tel.: +41 (0)31 356 61 00 our information brochure on request. Information: [email protected] Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad www.aso.ch JUSKILA Lenk (FYSA), Tel. +41(0)31 356 61 16, Draw to attend a ski camp (JUSKILA) in [email protected], www.sjas.ch Lenk for young Swiss abroad aged 13 and 14 Winter camps for children aged 8 to 14

Whether they are skiers or snowboarders, beginners or at an advanced level, Swiss children living abroad aged 8 to 14 will ORGANISATION OF THE SWISS ABROAD have a great time at our winter camps. Our services: ■ Legal Department Winter camps ■ Youth Service Tschierv (Grisons) ■ Association for the Promotion of Education for Young Swiss Abroad Date: Monday, 27 December 2010 to (AJAS) Wednesday, 5 January 2011 ■ Committee for Swiss Schools Abroad (CSSA) ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 No. of participants: 36 ■ Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad (FYSA) Cost: CHF 900 (contribution to the camp) Ski or snowboard hire: Approx. CHF 150 Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, CH–3006 Berne, SWISS REVIEW A Registration deadline: 30 October 2010 Phone +41 31 356 6100, Fax +41 31 356 6101, [email protected], www.aso.ch ORGANISATION OF THE SWISS ABROAD

“The SwissCommunity platform networks Swiss people worldwide via the web.”

Ursula Deplazes Researcher from Graubünden, living in Rome

“Networking plays an important role among the Swiss abroad – both personally and profes- sionally.”

Daniel Keller Manager from Zurich, living in Hanoi

“The local experience Urs Steiner of Swiss people can Teacher from Berne, head be very valuable to an of the Swiss School in Peru international consultant like me.” “Get to know other Swiss people abroad, exchange useful addresses, fi nd out about Switzerland … I can do all these things on SwissCommunity.”

Network with other Swiss abroad Keep up to date on relevant news and events Find an apartment – or the best fondue in town Discover Switzerland Sign up for free membership www.swisscommunity.org

SwissCommunity partners 26 POET ON A JOURNEY THROUGH SWITZERLAND

On the trail of Byron in Switzerland never tired of lakeside reverie and walks in Exiled from England, the poet Lord Byron (1788–1824) stayed the hillside. In his boat with an English keel Byron sometimes set out onto Lake Geneva in Switzerland from May to October 1816. Sailing on Lake Geneva at night during storms, indifferent to the and trips into the Alps provided the inspiration for two major dangers. One very windy morning when he works. We go on the trail of one of the fi rst romantics. was sailing alone on the choppy waters of the lake, the alarm was raised to send out for By Alain Wey help. When he returned ashore, Byron thanked his poor rescuers by causing a terri- ble scene, remonstrating with them for hav- ing interrupted his meditations.

Who was Lord Byron? He was England’s lit- up with the poet Percy Shelley (1792–1822), The birth of Frankenstein erary equivalent of a rock star at the start of who was accompanied by his wife Mary and Torrential rain, gloomy nights and the the 19th century, having risen to fame over- Claire Clairmont, Byron’s future mistress. reading of German folk tales stimulated the night after the publication of the fi rst two The two writers dined together and spent imagination. Byron proposed that each of his cantos of Childe Harold (1812), which re- their evenings sailing on Lake Geneva, both companions write a ghost story – Shelley and count his adventures and refl ections on sharing a passion for the water. On 10 June, his wife, Polidori and he himself. He pro- travel in Portugal, Spain, Greece and Tur- Byron moved into the Villa Diodati in Co- duced a vampire story but without much key. He is also the poet most quoted by logny, on the south-west shore of the lake, conviction. It was Mary Shelley who best Robin Williams in the well-known fi lm where Shelley also rented a house. The loca- rose to the challenge. After a terrible night- “Dead Poets Society” (1989). A seducer from tion provided him with a haven of peace and mare, she fi nally unearthed the protagonist a wealthy background with a seat in the tranquillity. Sometimes, in the morning, he of her ghost story. The following day, she House of Lords, he was forced to leave Eng- would sit on the villa’s large balcony and started to write Frankenstein, which, after land in 1816 after the scandal caused by his work on Childe Harold or Darkness. He starting out as a short story, became a divorce and his incestuous novel. relationship with his half-sis- ter, Augusta. He was 28. The The Castle of Chillon and its pioneer of the wave of liter- prisoner ary romanticism stayed in On 22 June, Byron and Switzerland from May to Shelley went on a boat tour of October where he wrote the lake, sailing along the Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, shores of Savoy, passing Evian, Canto III and The Prisoner Tourronde, Lugrin and Meill- of Chillon. Let’s go back in erie before reaching Saint- time in pursuit of this poet Gingolph on 24 June, where who never went anywhere they encountered a storm without his swordstick. which nearly cost them their lives. After passing Villeneuve, The Villa Diodati the noble silhouette of the Byron reached Switzer- Castle of Chillon appeared at land via Flanders and Ger- the foot of the rocks. This was many as the French govern- the sanctuary of Jean-Jacques ment refused him a passport. Rousseau and the setting for He was accompanied by his La Nouvelle Héloïse. Excit- valet Fletcher, two servants, edly exploring the depths of his courier Berger and his the castle, the two poets came doctor Polidori. The poet across the dungeon with seven passed through on pillars hidden beneath the 17 May 1816 and reached level of the lake. Byron dis- Berne on 23. Passing through covered the story of the pris- Avenches and Lausanne, he oner, François Bonivard, a arrived in Geneva and stayed prior locked up there from ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 at the hôtel d’Angleterre in 1530 to 1536 for his opposition Sécheron where he entered a to the Duke of Savoy who was fabricated age in the register The English poet, Lord George Byron (1788–1824) attempting to seize control of SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone – one hundred! Here he met Geneva. They then went on 27

to Clarens, still following in had to set off before the passes Rousseau’s footsteps. They were closed due to snow. He fi nally arrived in Ouchy thought he would be returning (Lausanne) where Byron because he did not sell his boat rapidly penned The Pris- and put it to anchor in the port oner of Chillon on 28 June. of Geneva. The literary impact of this tour of the lake turned out On 5 October, he headed to- to be immense. On his re- wards Valais, stopping in Saint- turn, Byron spent the Maurice, crossing the Rhône months of July and August Valley and admiring the waterfall in the Villa Diodati, writing, at Pissevache before going on to going for walks, sailing and Martigny, Sion, , Loèche sometimes receiving guests and Viège. At Brig, he climbed from England. He also fre- the Simplon Pass to reach Italy. quently visited the writer Lord Byron never returned to Mme de Staël in Coppet, Switzerland and would never see who eulogistically told him: England again. In 1824, he took “Lake Geneva owes you grat- up the cause of the insurgents itude, Mylord!” On 29 Au- against Turkish rule in Greece gust, Shelley and his wife and died of malaria aged 36. The left Cologny for England fi ve months he spent in Switzer- and Byron headed to Cha- land were signifi cant in such a monix and Mont Blanc. Anne Isabella Noel Byron (1792–1860), Lord Byron’s wife. short lifetime. And his verses from Childe Harold still reso- Journey into the Alps nate today: “Once more upon On 17 September, Byron set out on a jour- poet lingered contemplatively before the the waters! yet once more! And the waves ney into the Bernese Oberland with two Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, stretching out bound beneath me as a steed. That knows his English friends. They passed through Les in front of him in all of their 4,000 metres of rider. Welcome to their roar!”** Avants (up above Montreux), the Jaman splendour. He was fascinated by how the gla- Byron et Shelley en Suisse et en Savoie, by Claire-Eli- Pass, Simmental, and be- ciers cut through forests, by avalanches and ane Engel, Librairie Dardel, Chambéry, 1930 fore arriving in Lauterbrunnen, a village nes- the cascades of ice. He descended via Grin- * A Journal, 23 September, Letters and Journals, Lord tled between the peaks where streams fall delwald before arriving at Lake Brienz and Byron. from vertiginous cliffs into the void. He was returning to Interlaken. In , the ** Childe Harold, Canto III, verse 2 mesmerised by the Staubbach Falls: “The poet bought a “horrible” dog without a tail torrent is in shape, curving over the rock, like called Mutz who bit everyone. On 29 Sep- the tail of a white horse streaming in the tember, he returned to the Villa Diodati. By- wind.”* Passing through Wengernalp, the ron wanted to spend the winter in Italy and

“... yonder Alpine snow, Imperishably “And Jura answers, through her misty “Twas not for fi ction chose Rousseau this pure beyond all things below.” shroud, spot, “Lake Leman woos me with its crystal face, Back to the joyous Alps, who call to her Peopling it with affections; but he found The mirror where the stars and mountains aloud!” It was the scene which passion must allot view Canto III, verse 92 To the mind’s purifi ed beings;” The stillness of their aspect in each trace Canto III, verses 99, 100, 104 Its clear depth yields of their far height and “Clarens! sweet Clarens! birthplace of hue: deep Love! “Here are the Alpine landscapes which There is too much of man here, to look Thine air is the young breath of passionate create through thought;” A fund for contemplation; – to admire With a fi t mind the might which I behold; “Clarens! by heavenly feet thy paths are Is a brief feeling of a trivial date; But soon in me shall Loneliness renew trod, - But something worthier do such scenes in- Thoughts hid, but not less cherished than Undying Love’s, who here ascends a throne spire. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 of old...” To which the steps are mountains;” Here to be lonely is not desolate.” Childe Harold, Canto III, verses 67–68 Epistle to Augusta, verse 8, lines 1–5 (LXVII–LXVIII) SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone 28 MODERN-DAY ALPINE HERDSMEN

The alpine herdsmen of the 21st century mountain agriculture has been thriving again Cheese-makers and mountain shepherds have moved with the for several decades. Etivaz from Pays- d’Enhaut (also a gruyere) is a good example times and the culture of the alpine herdsmen, or armaillis, is of the resurgence of the alpine herdsmen. alive and well on the alpine pastures and is certainly not con- This cheese was the fi rst to obtain registered fi ned to museums. An interview with alpine herdsman Michel- designation of origin status, and its makers work with some 60 cheese boilers.” The as- Joseph Braillard. By Alain Wey sistant alpine herdsmen come from many dif- ferent countries, including Poland, Kosovo, Paraguay and the Lebanon. The alpine herdsmen also have a new role So who are today’s alpine herdsmen, known century. In the 1970s and 1980s, a return to as guardians of nature. Michel-Joseph Brail- as armaillis in French-speaking Switzerland nature and a rise in demand for regional lard explains: “The magical relationship be- and Sennen in German-speaking parts of the products and alpine cheeses made in the tra- tween the sky and the earth must be pre- country? Alpine cheese-makers, shepherds, ditional way saw the numbers of alpine served. Cheese is like a good bottle of wine, herdsmen and milkers, the traditional repre- herdsmen replenished with young people a “Clos de Vougeot” or a “Château Pétrus”. sentatives of Swiss folklore*, would have died from the cities, who had an alternative out- It has to be savoured with respect.” The as- out in the 1970s if young people from the cit- look on life, training as cheese-makers in the pect of the grazing land and what the cows ies with alternative lifestyles had not arrived agricultural colleges. In addition, a website or goats eat has a direct impact on the cheese. to bolster their ranks. The tradition of www.zalp.ch now contains information on In the same way, the smoke of the boiler’s cheese-making on the alpine pastures now alpine herdsmen and job offers to help fi nd wood fi re gives the cheese a certain fl avour. has decades ahead of it. Alpine herdsman staff. The herdsman adds: “And sometimes stormy Michel-Joseph Braillard looks back on a Michel-Joseph Braillard believes the re- weather can give the boiler an extra bit of thousand-year-old tradition. vival of the alpine herdsmen has been spark!” He explains: “The Olma Swiss Agricul- achieved by grouping together alpine pas- *The alpine herdsmen wear traditional cos- tural Fair in St. Gallen provides a refl ection tures and modernising equipment and tumes, particularly in Appenzell, Toggenburg, on the alpine herdsman tradition through- premises. This is already evident in Simmen- Emmental and Gruyere. out Switzerland today, a way of life which tal (BE), for example. He says: “Thanks to www.olma-messen.ch has updated itself enormously. The law on growth in demand for regional products, www.zalp.ch land improvements has enabled the con- www.alporama.ch struction of access routes to the alpine pas- tures. The alpine herdsmen themselves have also changed tremendously. They almost all THE HERDSMAN WITH A alpine pastures all year drive 4x4s today. There are even cable cars TASTE FOR ADVENTURE round”. In 1998, he took over and monorails on the steepest alpine mead- Herdsman Michel-Joseph a fl ock of 400 ewes in the Por- ows. People have been working in the Swiss Braillard, aged 66, began tuguese Sierra and set up a Alps for around 1,000 years. The expertise learning about the different cheese dairy. On his return to for the production of caseus helveticus, the tasks involved in work on Switzerland in 2005, he hard cheese for which Switzerland is so fa- the alpine pastures at the age worked in Upper Valais, mous, was brought by the monks.” Michel- of fi ve in the Fribourg Prealps. Grisons and then in Pays- Joseph Braillard is full of anecdotes. He From a family involved in d’Enhaut (VD). Today, he is resumes: “Ever since crossing the Atlantic cattle breeding for four cen- based in Gruyere at the “La became commonplace in the 16th century, turies, he attended agricul- his visits to cattle-breeding Chetta” mountain chalet gruyere experienced its fi rst boom because tural college, traded calves farms in Canada and studying where he has a herd of goats. it is very rich in protein and easy to preserve. between German-speaking in Newcastle in the UK, Brail- He combines cheese with aro- However, the origins go back much further. and French-speaking Switzer- lard, originally from Gruyere, matic alpine herbs. He says: There is a site called Chäs u Brot, near to land, became head of the has become an expert on cat- “I met a herb gatherer, my Berne, where the Swiss Germans who were stables at a leading riding tle over the years. He later partner, and this relationship on their march to Laupen to fi ght the Bur- school in Geneva, and then a moved to Zollikon where he produced a cheese, Le liberta. gundian nobleman in 1339 were given bread horse-riding instructor in spent 12 years rearing mother As long as I’ve got my health, and cheese.” St. Moritz (GR). He worked at cows and producing organic I intend to work on the pas- In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Swit- the testing centre for the meat, better known as “natu- tures.” zerland experienced a boom in cheese-mak- breeding of cattle at the Fed- rabeef”. He then bred cattle L’armailli aventurier, Michel-Joseph Braillard, Editions de l’Aire, 2010. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 ing with the emergence of so-called cheese eral Institute of Technology on an alpine pasture in Molé- barons when thousands of rounds of gruyere in Zurich and then at a veter- son (FR) before emigrating were sold each year at the market in Lyon, inary clinic as an animal pro- to the Dominican Republic in

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316354 30 SWISS POLITICAL PARTIES – INTERNATIONAL SECTIONS

“Real opportunities for the Swiss abroad” peaceful co-existence between nations. This The “SP Schweiz International” (International Section of the So- is also in line with the long-term interests of the community of the Swiss abroad. The SPS cial Democratic Party of Switzerland) was founded in 1999. The has always taken a coherent and consistent aim was to provide a political home outside Switzerland’s bor- stance on all issues relating to policy on the ders for the many Swiss abroad who identify with the objectives Swiss abroad and will continue to do so. It represents the legitimate concerns of the and values of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS). Swiss abroad in the Federal Council and in Walter Suter has presided over the International Section of the Parliament without any ifs and buts. SPS since 2007. Interview by Heinz Eckert Will a Swiss abroad ever make it onto the National Council? Under the present terms where Swiss citi- zens abroad have to stand as candidates for a “Swiss Review”: What do the Swiss abroad place on their party’s list in the polling canton, mean to the SPS? the chances are very slim. However, I am con- Walter Suter: As a community of over vinced that with perseverance and a great deal 700,000 Swiss citizens, of whom around of persuasion, the constitutional and legal 130,000 are registered on electoral rolls in amendments that would be required to ena- Switzerland, the Swiss abroad are very impor- ble the Swiss abroad to stand for election may tant even purely from a numerical perspective. one day be achieved. This would also resolve The SPS believes the Swiss abroad have a le- the issue of electoral opportunities which gitimate right to take part in elections and ref- needs to be addressed. With a view to ensur- erenda and to represent the common con- Walter Suter retired as an ambassador in January ing improved direct representation for Swiss 2008 and lives in Berne. cerns of the Swiss abroad directly at political citizens abroad, the SP Schweiz International level as Members of Parliament in the Federal believes the role of the Council of the Swiss Assembly. For this reason, in 2007, both SPS abroad greater weight and credibility in the Abroad should be strengthened in the interim National Councillors Mario Fehr and Carlo National Council and Council of States. to allow it to function as a genuine and dem- Sommaruga submitted proposals aimed at im- ocratically legitimised representative of the plementing legal measures to provide the The budget for “Swiss Review” has been cut, Swiss abroad vis-à-vis the political authori- Swiss abroad with the real opportunity to swissinfo is in danger and savings are con- ties. stand for Federal Parliament in the elections. stantly being made on the network of represen- tations. What is your view on these develop- How do you maintain contact with Swiss What do you consider to be the most urgent po- ments? abroad? litical issues regarding the Swiss abroad? The SPS and the International Section are As far as our members are concerned, con- The creation of a legal framework to pro- following developments with great concern tact takes place electronically. Internet access vide Swiss citizens abroad with genuine op- and would like to put a stop to all cutbacks. is a prerequisite nowadays for membership of portunities to be elected to the National the International Section of the SPS. Council and/or Council of States. There will be federal elections again The section also maintains targeted next year. Why should Swiss people contact with the Swiss abroad What signifi cance do the resolutions of the abroad vote for the SPS? through annual participation in the Council of the Swiss Abroad have for the SPS? The SPS has always advocated an Congress of the Swiss Abroad. The The SPS is represented on the Council of open Switzerland that plays a lead- SPS parliamentarians on the Coun- the Swiss Abroad by former and current fed- ing role in the international commu- cil of the Swiss Abroad also take this eral parliamentarians, such as Remo Gysin nity based on cooperation and solidarity, opportunity to exchange views at length with and Carlo Sommaruga. It therefore supports while showing a healthy degree of self-confi - council members visiting from abroad and its resolutions. The CSA’s resolutions give the dence. Based on social justice, we aim to make with many other people attending the con- SPS’ initiatives on policy relating to the Swiss a proactive and sustained contribution to a gress.

Advertisement ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 ce SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Press Offi Photo: Press ECHO 31

■ The ban on smoking in pub- “When I introduced myself at the UN, I said I was as precise as a Swiss Swiss citizens detained in Libya lic places came into force watch and as versatile as a Swiss army knife.” have been released, Rachid throughout Switzerland on 1 Joseph Deiss, former Federal Councillor, new President of the Hamdani in February after 19 UN General Assembly May 2010. The proportion of months and Max Göldi in June smokers in Switzerland “When the volcano erupted in Iceland no-one was to blame. The newspa- after almost 700 days. The dropped from 33% to 27% be- pers could not call for resignations, except for perhaps that of St. Peter.” Minister of Foreign Affairs tween 2001 and 2009. The Moritz Leuenberger, Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey hopes campaign led by lung disease “Efforts should be made to facilitate the integration of border regions, that Swiss relations with groups has taken a giant step such as Alsace, Aosta, Bolzano, Vorarlberg, Savoy, Baden-Württem- Tripoli can now return to nor- forward as more previously en- berg, Varese and Como as new Swiss cantons.” mal. joyed freedoms went up in A serious proposal by Dominique Baettig, SVP National Councillor ■ According to a survey, more smoke. “Switzerland is too small for high-speed trains. By the time a train be- than half of the Swiss popula- ■ Since the opening of the tween Berne and Zurich had accelerated to a speed of 300 km/h, it would tion surf the Internet (55%) World Expo in Shanghai on 1 have to start braking again.” every day compared to 51% of May, the Swiss Pavilion has Max Friedli, who is stepping down as Director of the Austrians and 43% of Germans. proven a big hit. Visitors had to Federal Offi ce of Transport A study by Pro Senectute wait almost three hours to en- “Experts believe between CHF 600 and 900 billion in untaxed money is showed that just 38% of senior ter the building above which a now being kept in our banks.” citizens are online. six-seater cable car is sus- Werner Messmer, Free Democrat (FDP) National Councillor in Thurgau ■ The employment indicator pended. In an exhibition area “I fail to see why the Swiss devote so much time and energy to the state of the “Konjunktur- measuring 4,000 m2, Switzer- when foreigners neither carry out military service nor pay exemption forschungsstelle” (Economic land’s theme is “interaction be- tax.” Research Unit) is pointing tween urban and rural areas”. Bruno S. Frey, former professor at the University of Zurich upwards again, reaching 2.9 This adventure is set to last un- “Switzerland needs to consider its future direction. Otherwise good musi- points in April compared to til 31 October. cians will no longer come here with their performances of Guarneri and –14.2 points in April 2009. ■ According to a study by the Stradivari.” This suggests a return to Federal Institute of Technol- Patricia Kopatchinskaja, a violinist living in Berne whose precious instrument growth and a turnaround on was confi scated by customs offi cials in Zurich ogy in Zurich, Switzerland’s the labour market. performance in innovation is “In terms of the representation of women in politics, Swiss women are in ■ The army will have to pay the best in the world. It is the the bottom third in Europe with a 30% share.” out more than a billion francs most innovative economy with Patricia Schulz, Head of the Federal Offi ce for Gender Equality to clean up pollution left by regard to both industry and “The racists should be reminded that Switzerland was also once a coun- military exercises, particularly services. In terms of the inno- try of emigration. Few people believe me when I tell them that my grand- target practice. Damage was vation performance of SMEs, parents emigrated in 1928 because of poverty.” caused by the heavy metal and Switzerland is at the forefront, Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian Swiss and international rock star residue from fl amethrowers along with Sweden and Fin- which contaminated the earth land, ahead of Israel, the USA and polluted ground water in and Japan. some 1,500 locations. ■ Panini World Cup stickers ■ The Federal Administrative have come up against an origi- Court has annulled the 333-mil- nal competitor – the “Der lion-franc fi ne imposed by the König” album presents Competition Commission Switzer land’s best wrestlers (Comco) on Swisscom for who will compete in the Swiss charging its mobile competi- national wrestling tournament tors excessive termination fees. and alpine festival in Frauen- Swisscom nevertheless still feld from 20 to 22 August 2010. faces another 220-million-franc More than a million stickers Former Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss (term of offi ce: 1999-2006) has been elected fi ne, pronounced by Comco in President of the UN General Assembly. He will succeed Libya’s Ali Treki on 14 Sep- have been sold. tember for a year-long mandate. The former Minister of Foreign Affairs played a June 2009, for abusing its mar- ■ The Federal Council recom- key role in Switzerland’s accession to the UN in 2002. ket position in broadband In- mended the rejection of the ternet connections. popular initiative calling for six a referendum in 2011 or 2012. above the limit set by the weeks of holiday a year for all ■ Air pollution in Switzerland Kyoto Protocol. ugust 2010 / No. 3 / No. ugust 2010 workers. The union Travail. is still too high. Greenhouse gas ■ The confl ict between Swit- Suisse submitted the necessary emissions reached 53.2 million zerland and Libya over the signatures in June 2009 and the tonnes in 2008 - 0.5% more Hannibal Kadafi affair has fi - SWISS REVIEW A Photo: Keystone Swiss people will now decide at than in 1990 and 4.6 tonnes nally been resolved. The two The quality of a Swiss watch, neatly packaged in an airline. –

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