Swiss in New Orleans say 2019 is the year to vote
Should Swiss living abroad have a say on votes and elections back home?
As part of our series of roundtable discussions in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in October, Swiss people living Louisiana weigh in on the issues that matter most to them.
In this talk we hear from Swiss members of the Swiss American Society of New OrleansExternal link who’ve lived in the US for anywhere from seven to 50 years. Considering the distance from their homeland, they’re torn about whether they should still be voting in Switzerland or not.
But when possible, they still follow current Swiss affairs. Some say that this election year – with environmental policy a major theme – is a key one to cast their ballots.
SWI on tour
How do Swiss citizens living abroad view the political debate in their home country? What is important to the expat Swiss community when they vote?
To tap into the mood of the “fifth Switzerland” during this general election year, swissinfo.ch visited clubs in Europe as well as the Americas in summer 2019. Within the United States, we met Swiss living in Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and New Orleans.
For more interviews, portraits and behind-the-scenes coverage, check out the hashtags #SWIonTour and #WeAreSwissAbroad on InstagramExternal link, FacebookExternal link and TwitterExternal link.
Want to get in touch with us? Use the comment section below, or reach out to discussion leader Susan MisickaExternal link on Twitter.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.