Leading representatives of the Swiss expatriate community have expressed dismay at parliament’s refusal to halt the closure of further Swiss consulates abroad. They call on the foreign ministry to improve their information policy.
The Senate on Tuesday rejected a motion sponsored by Roland Büchel, parliamentarian and leading member of the Swiss Abroad Council, to suspend a reorganisation of the consular network for two years.
«The Senate acts more and more as the extended arm of the administration and forfeits its independence,» Büchler said.
Although the other parliamentary chamber, the House of Representatives, had supported his plan in June, the Senate threw it out unanimously, putting an end to the discussions for the time being.
Another leading representative of the Swiss expatriate community, Senator Filippo Lombardi, is putting pressure on the government through a legal amendment. He wants the cabinet to consult parliament’s two foreign affairs committees before decisions on Swiss abroad issues are taken.
He says a mandatory consultation would also raise parliament’s awareness of the concerns of the Swiss abroad community.
Lombardi says it reflects badly on the cabinet and Switzerland as a whole if the cabinet has to take back a decision to close a Swiss representation after parliament voted against it.
Parliament in June threw out plans by the foreign ministry to close down the Swiss embassy in Guatemala City.
However, Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter told the Senate that the government was free to decide on the closure and opening of embassies and consulates.
He added that following a decision by parliament to reduce spending, it would be inconsistent to thwart the foreign ministry’s efforts to make use of synergies and adapt to the changing needs of a consular network – notably in Asia and on the Arab peninsula.
«Overall services have not been cut,» he maintained during Tuesday’s debate.
Burkhalter said Switzerland was still well represented abroad with about 170 embassies – including about 120 consular units – and its services had not deteriorated because consular hubs, mobile consular services and a 24-hour helpline had been set up for expatriates.
He said that foreign ministry spending on diplomatic representations had been cut lightly over the past five years and that staff numbers had not been reduced for the past 12 years.
Cabinet powers
However, doubts among the Swiss abroad community remain.
Büchel wants the government to explain why nearly 800 jobs were created in the foreign ministry between 2007 and 2012, while the service at the Swiss representations abroad had been cut.
For his part, Rudolf Wyder, director of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), has expressed his disappointment at the parliamentary decision.
«We call on the government to provide detailed figures on how much money has been saved by the closures of consulates so far,» he says.
The OSA pressure group represents the more than 715,000 Swiss around the world. Most of them live in neighbouring European countries, but there is also a sizeable number of expats in North America.