Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
He was considered one of Switzerland’s most important intellectuals and described himself as a revolutionary: Jean Ziegler died today in Geneva at the age of 92.
In their obituaries, Swiss media look back on Ziegler’s career as a politician, sociologist and UN Special Rapporteur, but also on the encounters and conversations that shaped their memories of the former parliamentarian.
Former parliamentarian, sociologist and UN Special Rapporteur: Jean Ziegler has died at the age of 92 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
“Committed, combative and tireless in the fight for a better world” is how Swiss public broadcaster SRF begins its obituary of the former Social Democratic Party parliamentarian. “A revolutionary in a tailored suit,” headlines the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), while the Tages-Anzeiger writes: “There were no more entertaining conversations than those with Jean Ziegler.”
Born Hans Ziegler in Thun in 1934 into a middle-class family, Ziegler befriended Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir while studying in Paris. The experience marked a break with his previous life, and from then on he adopted the French first name Jean.
With only a brief interruption, Ziegler served for 30 years in the House of Representatives for the left-wing Social Democratic Party. Alongside his political career, he wrote books – “veritable pamphlets”, as SRF describes them – that became international bestsellers. In 2000, Ziegler became a UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, travelling extensively around the world. He was also criticised for his closeness to dictators such as Muammar Gaddafi and Fidel Castro.
Even in old age, Ziegler remained active, giving lectures, publishing books and appearing regularly in the media. “If you are lucky enough to be Swiss, white, intelligent and educated, then you must fight to destroy the cannibalistic world order and ensure that everyone can at least live materially in this world,” he once said on SRF’s “Schawinski” programme.
An important step was taken this morning in the debate over financing the 13th monthly pension payment. A parliamentary conciliation conference is proposing a combination of payroll tax and value-added tax increases.
The conference has followed the proposal backed by the centre-left majority in the Senate. However, payroll contributions would rise by 0.2 percentage points rather than the 0.3 percentage points originally proposed. VAT would increase by 0.4 percentage points, although food and other basic necessities would be exempt. Both funding measures would apply indefinitely.
The Senate is due to vote on the proposal tomorrow. The dossier will then move to the House of Representatives next Wednesday, where debate could become heated. The Swiss People’s Party, Radical-Liberal Party and Liberal Green Party have consistently opposed higher payroll contributions.
If both the House of Representatives and Senate approve the compromise, the package will go to a final vote on the last day of the summer parliamentary session.
Have you already returned your voting envelope? The number of ballots already received points to an above-average turnout on the upcoming voting Sunday.
The communications agency digital/organising analysed data from voting envelopes that have already been returned. “Compared with previous votes, we estimate that turnout could reach around 54%,” agency founder and campaign strategist Marco Kistler told the Tages-Anzeiger. While clearly above the long-term Swiss average of around 45%, it would still fall short of record levels.
In 2016, for example, the vote on the enforcement initiative attracted turnout of 63.7%. The all-time record remains the 1992 referendum on joining the European Economic Area (EEA), which drew 78.2% of eligible voters to the ballot box.
According to Kistler, the early mobilisation is striking. However, the latest figures from municipalities and cities suggest that the increase in returned ballots is beginning to level off. “If this trend continues, it could indicate that mobilisation has already reached saturation point,” he says.
At this point, let us take a brief look at Basel City. It is the first canton where those entitled to vote are in the minority. Some 50.3% of residents cannot participate in elections and votes – either because they do not hold Swiss citizenship, are under 18, are temporary residents or are under guardianship.
With an average of 1.29 children per woman, Switzerland ranks 25th among the countries with the lowest birth rates in the world. A long-term study has examined the reasons and possible consequences.
According to the study, the decline is driven by a combination of factors, reports Der Bund. More people are deciding not to have children, while women who do become mothers are having their first child later in life. In Switzerland, the average age at first birth is 31.3 years – among the highest in Europe.
According to Zurich fertility specialist Bruno Imthurn, the study also reveals significant knowledge gaps. Many people underestimate the impact of age on fertility. A third of respondents incorrectly believed that female fertility only declines significantly after the age of 40.
While issues such as the old-age and survivors’ insurance (OASI) reform and nuclear energy spark lively political debate, Switzerland’s falling birth rate receives relatively little public attention, notes Der Bund. One reason is that immigration largely compensates for the low birth rate, making the demographic trend less immediately visible.
A typically Swiss attitude also plays a role. “Fertility in Switzerland, like children themselves, is largely viewed as a private matter,” says sociologist Marco Giesselmann. As a result, many people do not see declining birth rates as a broader societal issue.
Translated using AI/amva/ts
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