Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
The elections in Hungary at the weekend produced a clear winner in Péter Magyar. The Viktor Orbán era is now history. A Swiss expatriate with voting rights there, whom our correspondent accompanied during the most heated phase of the election campaign, is delighted.
And in Switzerland, a pilot project promises nothing less than a revolution in public transport. What does the data protection officer think?
Hungary has voted. The political end of Viktor Orbán is described by a Swiss in Hungary as “the zero hour, like in 1989”, when the communist regime came to an end. Our correspondent Bruno Kaufmann accompanied the dual national in Budapest.
Zoltán Tamassy voted in Switzerland, where he was born in 1971, almost exclusively by post. In Budapest, everything was different: ID checks and going behind a blue curtain. This first time voting in his parents’ homeland was a very emotional experience.
Hungary was recently described as an “electoral autocracy” and “the world’s worst autocratiser”. Nevertheless, Tamassy dared to return out of an explicit desire for freedom. The Swiss expatriate became involved in a country that had been ruled for years in a permanent state of emergency – a risky investment in a political future that was still completely uncertain at the time.
Despite the opposition’s election victory with Péter Magyar, the country remains deeply divided. Our reportage shows that politics remains a taboo even at the in-laws’ dinner table in order to avoid “discord”. While the young celebrate change, the older generation clings to old loyalties.
Switzerland is currently debating an initiative to limit the country’s population to ten million people. Today, interactive graphics show how Switzerland has changed demographically.
What does Switzerland look like today compared with the day you were born? The data team at Swiss public broadcaster RTS has published an interactive graphic in which you can make various interesting comparisons.
By entering your date of birth, you can find out how the Swiss population has changed since then. Data such as population growth, the ageing of society and immigration can be compared with today’s figures to the day. According to a scenario from the Federal Statistical Office, the population is likely to exceed ten million in 2041.
You can also observe the development of the population structure of the municipality and canton from which you emigrated or where you live today and compare it with other municipalities in Switzerland. Which has seen the biggest increase/decrease of inhabitants? And how have the age groups in the population changed? Find out.
The new “Be in – Be out” (Bibo) system is set to revolutionise the use of public transport. A political trial is currently underway.
Have you ever forgotten to activate your digital ticket in a stressful situation and then been fined? Swiss public transport is now planning to put an end to the tedious “check-in – check-out” (Cico) process. Soon, simply boarding a means of public transport will be enough to have a valid ticket.
The new system, Bibo, will automatically recognise when you are in such a vehicle. You simply get on and off, but ultimately you pay only for the journey you have actually travelled. Alliance Swisspass, which is behind the pilot test with 3,000 selected people, emphasises that annoying fines due to forgotten check-ins should finally be a thing of the past.
From the end of April, the test should clarify how accurately the app records journeys and prices in everyday life before the system is permanently integrated into the official Swiss Federal Railways app. However, tickets at ticket machines and the existing Cico will continue to be available.
Despite the automatic location recording, the Federal data protection watchdog sees no fundamental problems and is closely monitoring the project.
Finally, a lighter topic: keeping blacknose sheep is a favourite hobby and sideline for many farmers in canton Valais. They were also made famous by Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who also keeps such sheep in the Jura. Their fur grows so much that they have to be shorn twice a year. But what to do with all the wool?
It’s a loss-making business: shearing the blacknose sheep costs more than the sale of the wool brings in. This is what a farmer told Swiss public broadcaster SRF. Because fine wool is needed for clothing production, the wool from blacknose sheep, which is rough and scratchy, is not suitable for this purpose.
According to the report, the warehouses of bulk buyer Swiss Wool are “already overflowing”, which is why it has not been buying wool in Valais for two years. “In many places, the wool ends up in waste incineration.”
However, keepers have now come up with ideas on how the wool can still be put to good use. For example, as felted seat cushions, for soft toys or decorative items. Another use is in the garden. This is because sheep’s wool contains nitrogen, which plants such as tomatoes appreciate.
Translated using AI/ts
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
