Switzerland Today
Greetings from Bern!
Why has the Swiss ambassador to the US given diplomatic immunity to local colonies of bees? And what course of action followed by Bern, which affects the Swiss Abroad, has been described by the Federal Audit Office as “divorced from the realities on the ground”? All will be revealed.
In the news: Switzerland’s target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a massive undertaking that will require coordinated action by politicians, industry and the public, according to the Swiss Academy of Sciences.
- The country must ramp up its photovoltaic energy production by at least one gigawatt a year and replace fossil fuels with alternatives based on synthetics, hydrogen and methane, the academy said. In addition, the public must make an effort to reduce energy demand by turning down heating in homes and reducing wastage of electricity.
- The first Swiss project on the legal sale of cannabis in pharmacies will start on September 15 in canton Basel City, authorities said today. Hemp users over 18 can now register to take part, with the number of participants limited to 370. The prices charged by the pharmacies will be around those charged on the black market for products with a THC content. A gram will therefore cost CHF8-CHF12 ($8.40-$12.60).
- The megalodon, a giant shark that roamed the oceans millions of years ago, is famous for its teeth the size of a human fist. Otherwise, however, little fossil evidence exists. Scientists in Zurich have now helped create a 3D computer model of its entire body which suggests the megalodon could consume prey the size of today’s killer whales.
In this podcastExternal link from US current affairs magazine Slate, the Swiss ambassador to the US, Jacques Pitteloud, describes the “environmental diplomacy” he undertook after arriving in Washington DC.
The ambassador’s residence (pictured) sits on six acres on a hill overlooking the Washington Monument. “I was amazed by the beauty of the whole setting … It looked like a golf course and I don’t like golf courses – they are ecological disasters,” Pitteloud reflects. Together with his gardening team, he has transformed the residence into a native oasis. He also reveals how he brought back his beloved birds and even gave diplomatic immunity to local colonies of bees.
Swiss embassies have reams of data about the 790,000 Swiss who live abroad – the only problem, in the eyes of the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO), is that this is mostly on paper. The office has criticised the sluggish digitisation within the foreign ministry.
“It is difficult to motivate the staff to move to paperless working when there is no electronic storage or digital file management,” the SFAO says in its latest reportExternal link. “Moreover, the staff view the development of the digital offering as a threat to their own jobs. They need to be encouraged to identify more with this cultural change. The users also need to be involved right from the initial development stages of an online service, in order ensure greater usage.”
The audit office points out that when it comes to issues such as marital status, change of address, pensions or identity documents, the foreign ministry relies on IT projects developed by other administrations. “The lack of standardisation in the exchange of data is proving a hindrance. The interfaces are not automated, and as a result documents are sent by post or email,” it said.
What’s more, the consular staff are going through a period of uncertainty following the recent developments, closures, regionalisation and digitalisation, it noted. “The course followed by the headquarters in Bern is perceived as divorced from the realities on the ground,” it said.
Otherwise, the SFAO gives the consular services good marks.
Off to Lugano! The Congress of the Swiss Abroad takes place this weekend. We speak to some of the Swiss Abroad who are travelling to the southern Swiss city.
The Assembly of the Swiss Abroad is meeting again physically for the first time since the pandemic: in Lugano from August 19-21. We contacted some of the delegates of the Council of the Swiss Abroad to see how they are preparing for the upcoming event.
Simone Höch (pictured) will be a new face at the congress. “I’m looking forward to exciting presentations and exchanges with other delegates,” she says. Höch also hopes that the congress, and the concerns of the Swiss Abroad community, will pick up some traction in Swiss media.
“It’s a special trip for me,” she says. “It’s my first congress, and I’m mainly looking forward to the personal contacts, as well as the chance to visit Ticino, where I haven’t been in a long time. I’m going to enjoy all the classic Swiss things I usually miss: cervelat sausages, the public transport system, the mountains. And of course, I’ll visit family and friends.”
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