The elections to the Council of the Swiss abroad, the “parliament” of the fifth Swiss, have greatly modified the face of the group which will represent France there. The Union of Swiss Associations of France (UASF) also has a new president. However, the country will have to prepare for direct online elections for the next legislature.
This content was published on 01 May 2025 – 10:19
Emilie Ridard
Emigration, return to Switzerland, family, schooling, pensions, banks, insurance … I am interested in the Swiss who live abroad and informs them about the subjects that occupy them and concern them on a daily basis or more broadly. Passionate about languages and cultures, my professional career has made a little detour through marketing and assistantship before crossing the journalism route, in a position which allows me, moreover, to converse with the whole world.
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A whisper travels the room, the moment all and all have been waiting for the early morning has arrived: the Swiss clubs in France will elect their new and new representatives at the Council of the Swiss from abroad and their new office.
On April 25 and 26, the small thermal station of Amélie-les-Bains (Pyrénées-Orientales) welcomed 65e Congress of the Union of Swiss associations of France (UasfExternal link). Two important elections took place there for the Swiss community in France. On the one hand, France elected the delegates who represent it at the Council of the Swiss abroad (CSE). On the other hand, the clubs elected the new UASF office.
Many new faces
France, which has the largest Swiss community in the world with 212,143 nationals and nationals, is entitled to twelve seats in the CSE.
“I would like to ask each candidate to come and have herself in person in front of the Assembly,” said Françoise Mille-Leroux, the outgoing president of the UASF. After ten years at the head of the umbrella association and almost 80 years old, she decided not to imagine.
Fourteen people are advancing – ten men and four women, one of whom in fact represents a candidate, who could not make the trip. In turn, they present their motivations, starting with their Swiss origins. Two candidates who could not go there sent a video message.
Of the sixteen people candidates for the function of delegate of the CSE, only five already occupied the post during the legislature which ends (2021-2025).
Diplomatic counting
The president then invites the assembly to vote, then, fitted with a cardboard box with a slit, she passes in the ranks to collect the ballots.
Before that, she asked the general consuls and their collaborators present in the room to do the count, which four of them accept goodly.
At the end of their count, ten men and two women are elected, as well as a woman and a man as a substitute. These are, classified by the number of votes obtained, from Valéry Engelhard, Dominique Baccaunaud, Jacques de Buttet, Patrice Poget, François Boinay, Noel Frei, Christian Chantelot, Elke Chapuisod, Daniel Lenglet, Paolo Lupo, Arnaud Haefelin and Mathis Steinmann. Marie Silletta and Luc Jeannin-Naltet will be alternate.
Among these people, five were already delegated. Four have been re -elected to the Council and one of them is now substitute. The French delegation at the CSE is therefore adorned with eight new faces, which represent the four consular districts of France: Lyon, Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg.
No suspense
The CSE elections also coincide with the renewal of the UASF office. On the one hand, the umbrella organization of Swiss clubs in France is automatically composed of the new delegates to the CSE, on the other hand, several members of the office did not want to represent themselves.
Of the five people in the running, almost all of them were elected unanimously. No name-surprise came to disturb the election. Thus, Dominique Baccaunaud becomes the new president of the UASF and two new personalities are entering the office: Paolo Lupo, president of Genevois Sans Frontière, and Patrice Poget, president of the Helvetic Association of Bourbonnais.
Old -fashioned
In France, the elections took place on the spot and “old-fashioned”, that is to say that only the presidents of clubs could claim a seat at the CSE and vote. The country has chosen not to offer direct online election.
Since this year, a CSE working group has nevertheless set up a new system which allows anyone who has Swiss nationality and has been registered with its diplomatic representation to apply or candidate. Thirteen countries or groups of countries have been chosen to organize these direct and centralized elections via an online voting system, according to the OSE.
>> Read our article on direct elections:
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Loss of power
“No doubt we were not ready,” says Dominique Baccaunaud, who has just been re-elected as a CSE delegate. It also invokes the number of associations, the size of the Swiss community in France and the cost of implementation as elements of complexification of direct elections.
“Some club presidents also fear losing their power,” she finally concedes. The one who is also vice-president of the organization of the Swiss from abroad (OSE) is however convinced that it is possible to organize the elections so as to avoid this loss of power and to continue to give a reason to be at the UASF.
“I will be concerned with ensuring that each elected member has their place to work for the UASF and the CSE. I hope that we will be a dynamic committee and well asked by the clubs. The delegates are your spokespersons! ”Added the new president again after her election, aware that those of 2029 will have to be done according to the new direct system.
Text reread and verified by Samuel Jaberg
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