Government faces expat protest over swissinfo.ch
The Council of the Swiss Abroad has criticised cuts in government subsidies to the Swiss Review magazine and moves to reduce funding of swissinfo.ch.
The 140-strong assembly called on swissinfo.ch’s parent company, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, to take into account the significance of the multilingual, multimedia online service for expats who take part in votes.
“It is an important instrument of the Swiss presence abroad and an indispensable source of information for the Swiss abroad,” said council president Jacques-Simon Eggly on Friday.
Delegates also demanded the federal authorities reconsider a SFr500,000 ($462,000) budget cut for the Swiss Review, which was forced to reduce annual editions from six to four.
The council protested against what is seen as steadily diminishing government support for Swiss schools abroad, student grants to young Swiss expats and the dismantling of the consular networks.
The assembly urged the government to improve the legal standing of the expat community and recognise the importance of the Swiss abroad for the country.
In another resolution they called on Swiss banks to suspend their policy of excluding Swiss expats in the United States amid a legal spat over tax fraud by clients of the bank UBS.
The meeting in Lucerne took place ahead of the annual Congress of the Swiss Abroad which focuses on the political, economic and cultural roles of the expat community.
About 680,000 Swiss nationals lived abroad last year, and more than 125,000 of them have registered to participate in votes in Switzerland.
Urs Geiser in Lucerne, swissinfo.ch
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