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A nation in transition -
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Switzerland’s legendary stability has taken some knocks recently, so its people are looking forward to a chance to redefine their image in a changing world
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Swiss people look upon 2002 almost as a make or break year for their
country. After an exceptionally awful 2001, the seven million citizens
of Switzerland are in need of a tonic.
Last year’s postponement of the national exhibition, the Swissair
collapse, a shooting spree in a regional assembly and the repercussions
of 11 September all served to severely dent the national pysche. Suddenly,
it seems the Swiss, who are disinclined by nature to lurch from one
new fad to the next, are searching around for a new identity in a rapidly
changing world.
Earlier this year, Switzerland joined the United Nations general assembly
after a referendum. Currently, negotiations with the European Commission
on new bilateral accords which involve 10 separate subjects, ranging
from cooperation against fraud to environmental policy, are under way.
Historically, the country has always been an oasis of stability and
the political structure, embracing German, French, Italian and Raeto-Romansch
speakers, is a model of direct democracy.
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The
international institutions which have their headquarters in Switzerland,
the formidable banking sector, the Swiss mastery of watchmaking –
and making things work on time – are known and respected throughout
the world. Yet there is a change in the air, made all the more tangible
by the rapid changes in Europe and the fast pace of global commerce.
Kaspar Villinger, president
of the Swiss Confederation, says many Swiss people believe the country’s
unique democracy would be diluted if it joined the EU. “This is
a problem,” he says. “They think we could lose some of our
political power. On the other hand, we can co-decide in Brussels how
decisions are made. That means we have to make a compromise here, and
we will go step by step and get nearer to the EU.”
Hugely
symbolic, Expo.02 will be a showcase for the new Switzerland
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He
recognises that the EU is both their biggest neighbour and client and
that it is important to show commitment. “That is the reason we
have this bilateral treaty which has now been successfully introduced,”
he says.
By the same token, the president acknowledges that, while Switzerland’s
power and influence will diminish as other economies and regions of
the world expand theirs, his country must not develop a fortress mentality.
“Without globalisation and free markets, our little country with
seven million people, with a difficult climate, no sea and no ports
would be underdeveloped. We really need cooperation and I think more
and more people understand this.” Mr Villinger says the Swiss are
more competitive than ten years ago, unemployment and inflation are
very low and the economy is expected to grow this year. “Switzerland
is in good shape. We can’t complain,” he adds.
This verdict is backed up by Pascal Couchepin,
the minister of economic affairs, who sees market reform and
liberalisation in Switzerland as key to economic recovery and growth.
“Many
companies are preparing for the opening of the market,” he says.
“I am for liberalisation – I am convinced that it is necessary.”
He adds: “We are convinced that in the second part of the year
there will be the beginning of a recovery. Next year we expect a growth
rate of about two per cent.”
What, more than anything this year, the Swiss hope will give a better-informed
picture of their country is the national exhibition that opens on 15
May. The hugely symbolic exhibition, called simply Expo.02, will not
only be a showcase of what is being described as “the new Switzerland”,
but also a severe test for the organisers.
Expo.02
is unique in several respects. Unlike its predecessors, it is being
held at four different locations – Neuchatel, Biel-Bienne, Yverdon-les-Bains
and Murten-Morat – in the Three Lakes region of western Switzerland.
Also in contrast with previous exhibitions, which have been held on
average once every generation, there is no single theme. The first exhibition,
held in 1883 in Zurich, occurred just after the opening of the Gotthard
tunnel between Switzerland and Italy; the 1896 Geneva exhibition theme
was electricity; that of Berne in 1914 was aviation; energy featured
in Zurich in 1939, and Lausanne in 1964 was where many saw their first
computer.
Nelly Wenger, general manager of the exhibition, says the organisers
decided to do things very differently for Expo.02. “Every site
will give a different image of Switzerland in terms of atmosphere, experiences
and meaning,” she says. “Expo.02 does not have a message.
I think it is a consequence of our being in a period of transformation
and searching for an identity here in Switzerland.
“In
Switzerland we like order and unity and we like things done well. And
yet this exhibition is saying the opposite. It is on several different
sites and we are not sure if everyone will be able to get round and
see everything.
“We have decided to do Expo.02 in this way to show a very different
Switzerland. Although the sites are in the mountains and around the
lakes, the architecture is very modern.”
Each site has a different theme; at Neuchatel it is scientific, where
visitors will be able to interact with robots. There is a project called
Biopolice, which forecasts life in a city of the future, while at Murten-Morat,
a beautiful medieval town, a Swiss architect has introduced some intriguing
new elements. “It will be very difficult for the visitor to say
what is from the past and what is new,” hints Mrs Wenger.
Nearly five million people are expected at Expo.02, which runs until
October, including a million foreigners.
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