Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Council of the Swiss Abroad

The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) represents the interests of Swiss expatriates before the authorities and public opinion in Switzerland. This is why the media call it the "Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland"

The CSA gathers in Switzerland twice a year for a day-long meeting to discuss important matters concerning the Swiss abroad and to voice an opinion on current affairs on behalf of the Fifth Switzerland.

Between January and August 2017, Swiss citizens around the globe were called upon to elect their 140 representatives on the Council of the Swiss Abroad for 2017–2021. The new Council has 131 members, 64 of them new. Nine seats are currently vacant.

There have been many achievements and the CSA has always played a decisive role in carrying these through: the inclusion of Swiss living abroad in the Federal Constitution, maintaining optional old-age and disablement insurance (AVS/AI), livelihood protection thanks to the Solidarity Fund, several civil rights revisions, information to Swiss abroad, promotion of training young Swiss abroad or the introduction of the right to vote by mail - all these deserve to be highlighted as major achievements. It is also thanks to the activities of the Council of Swiss Abroad that the presence of the Fifth Switzerland back home over the years has increased significantly.

Here is the a closer look at the composition of the Council of the Swiss Abroad:

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