There are some who breathe a sigh of relief when the fireworks and the last night of Palèo comes around, as they are looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine and to a decent night's sleep. There are others who feel very sad as they will have to wait another long 359 days until the fun begins all over again. However you feel about it, the overall impression that one gets living in Nyon is that yet again this was a very successful Paléo with great weather, great music and just a superb atmosphere. And it's the atmosphere that everyone talks about. It's not just the music that makes Paléo, it's the ambience too, the fact that it's trouble free and that folk are there just to have fun. Yours truly was interviewed about this on World Radio Switzerland last week. The journalist Michele Mischler did a background feature on Paléo and what its like to live here in Nyon when the festival is on. I told her about the buzz, the atmosphere and on how the whole town embraces Paléo. How they welcome the music fans and how they are proud that this town is host to Switzerland's biggest rock festival. Seems I'm not the only one who thinks like this, Michele interviewed shopkeepers here in the town and other locals and they all said the same thing. She only found one dissenter (a pharmacist) who moaned a bit, but aside from him everybody was of the same opinion that..... Paléo is great! Here are some remaining images from last night. Not from inside the ground but outside in the free area, there are stalls here and food for sale so you don't always need a ticket to take part in the fun. Last night there were lots and lots of people in this area. So, until next year and mark the dates in your diary now (along, perhaps with a few days off work..) Paléo is scheduled for 21 st - 26th July 2009 Merci Paléo! Some of the stalls - Funky T-Shirts Someone having a henna tattoo Having a caricature painted A BIG smile from these stall holders Sleepy child, oblivious to fireworks Trying out the drums Having hair plaited CDs by artists who have played at the festival Bread for sale in the early hours of the morning Cool jewellery on sale at Dailleurs & D'ici Flourescent jackets of those volunteers at the entrance

Photo above: Lac Léman on the 25th December 2011 Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year (when it arrives!) to all readers. Living in Nyon apologises for the recent lack of posts and updates on this site.  We experienced a  few technical difficulties over the Christmas week, but all is well now and we are back on course for 2012 and another year of information, articles and posts all about living in the Nyon region. There will also be a newletter going out to all subscribers in  the early part of January, so if you haven't subscribed to the newsletter, why not do so? It's free, just click on the box in the right hand corner of this site.  Photos of cupcakes for sale at the Nyon Saturday market from the Heidi Bakery . Themed cupcakes for all occasions!

A great film to kick off the Visions du Réel festival  - "Kampf der Königinnen" - "The fight of the Queens"  This film will be shown again tonight Friday 22:30 at the Capitole Cinema 1 and Wednesday 13 at 18:30 at the Usine A Gaz. Remember there is a new ticketing system for the festival this year and you can now buy your tickets on line in advance to ensure a seat. Alternatively, you can buy them at the box offices at the Salle Communale or the Théâtre du Marens or Usine a Gaz . The film is in German with subtitles in English and French. The "Avant Première" of the film   "The Fight of the Queens" -  "Kampf der Königinnen"   directed by Nicolas Steiner kicked off Visions du Réel on Wednesday night at the Theatre du Marens to an almost full house. At the screening, the directors and production crew were on hand to answer questions posed by Luciano Barisone, the festival director. When Steiner was asked why he had chosen the subject of the cow fighting as a documentary, he replied that when he was a young boy, if  he asked his friends to go out cycling or play basketball with him on the same day of the cow fight, they never wanted to go with him, they wanted to be at the big event. Initially he wasn't interested in it at all, but  curiosity got the better of him, he went along, he then became interested in the Swiss tradition and consequently decided to film it.  This is not a barbaric fight If you have never been to a "Combat des Reines" and you too are curious, and want to see what it is all about and discover a bit more about Switzerland, then this film is for you.  This fight, between two cows done in the public eye in an arena with over 10,000 spectators, is not barbaric. It is not bullfighting between man and bull with blood spilled or a crowd baying for blood. This is simply a confrontation between two animals in which the animal's natural instinct is to defend its pasture, and each year a series of these cow competitions takes place in the Valais region of this country. The film begins in the interior of a cow shed with a farmer feeding and fattening his cow in preparation for the fight. In enters a small child, barely a toddler he stands near the animal and the farmer lets him feed him. This image of the tiny child and the massive beast together is one of many lovely images that appear throughout the film. Check the  trailer out  on the site to see a great slow motion shot simply of a cow opening and closing one eye. Photo above: Courtesy Visions du Réel. We see local boys getting ready to go to the competition chatting about their motorbikes, and the girls that they hope will be there at the arena. We are also introduced to a radio reporter on his way to the fight, a townie from Zurich who knows nothing about the tradition but thinks it might be worth a look in and reporting on. Quiet scenes gradually bring us into the noise and bustle of the arena itself where hundreds of farmers are gathered with their cows tethered. Cows snorting , cows scratching the ground, cows being weighed and a number painted on their flanks to enter into the competition. Cows called "Shakira", cows called "Melancholy" all waiting for their turn in the ring. The cows are at the centre of this film but its the owners of the cows that are the star turn: the young farmer who is anxious for his cow to win; the pretty young farmer who is ecstastic when her cow qualifies for the next round, the quiet farmer whose sweatshirt is emblazoned with a list of the winning years his cow has won the competition. There are some wonderful portrayals of individuals. Children climb in and out of pick up trucks, teenage boys flirt with girls The day of the fight is also Mother's Day, so to honour it, a line of men in jeans and checked shirts unfurl a banner in the centre of the stadium on which is written " Happy Mother's Day" while the MC shouts out the same over the loudspeaker. Whether this really is a mum's idea of a good day out to celebrate her day is anybody's guess, but the crowd seem happy, and it's a family occasion. They queue up for ice creams, children climb in and out of pick up trucks, teenage boys flirt with girls and try to blend in with the real men in the beer tent. The cinematography and music to the narrative climax are both superb, the final fight a visual treat. When it is finished and the winners are announced, we the audience want the owners of the cows to win as much as they do. When the results are announced we are happy. Yet there is no whooping or screaming from the winners, there is the occasional high five between fellow farmers, the hug of a family member and then it's time to receive the enormous cow bell prize, to pack up and quietly go back up with their beloved animals to the mountain villages until next year.

Take a look at this piece of furniture below. Is it an early telephone box or is it a guard's sentry box perhaps? You could hazard many guesses as to its use. However, one elderly visitor to the Maison Michel in Coppet knew exactly what it was when he saw it - he remembered it from his own childhood. It's a box that was used to discipline naughty children at school. Children were told to go inside the box if they misbehaved and they had to stay there for a length of time. The wooden bolts ensured that they couldn't escape. This box was found in the old school in Coppet and is on display with many other items in the attic of the Maison Michel (this is also the Museum of Coppet). The museum is set in an old house and is well worth a visit to get a small glimpse of Swiss history and what life was like for the bourgeoise of Coppet in the early 19th century. A visit to the Maison Michel was organised by Nyon Tourism and Enjoy Switzerland on Thursday evening to highlight what Coppet has to offer its visitors. The other reason for the event, was for those involved in tourism to meet and exchange ideas over an "apero". This followed a presentation on the success of the Enjoy Switzerland campaign by Jean-Pierre Pralong (head of the campaign in the Nyon region). This year has been a record year for visitors to the area, but it is predicted that the current economic crisis and other influencing factors (such as the exchange rate between the Euro and Swiss Franc) will affect future visitors, so those involved in Enjoy Switzerland are constantly looking at how to improve facilities and to continue to attract tourists. Future plans of welcoming visitors to Nyon were also explained. These ranged from staff training in the shops that serve tourists, to a recognised quality mark of approval in businesses, to other ideas such as placing a big montage with of photos of local people saying "Welcome" in many languages up on a wall of the railway station. If you are interested in visiting the Maison Michel you can either go on it as part of a guided walking tour of Coppet, or by advance request as an individual or group during the months of November to March. In the summer months the museum has regular opening hours. See Coppet's website or call 022 776 39 34 or 022 776 1674 The house is snuck away at 30 Grand Rue under the arches of the old town (you could walk past it without knowing it's there - a helpful hint look out for the patisserie next door). It's a tall and narrow house due to the fact that when it was built (it dates back to the 16th C) taxes were levied on the width of houses which were measured by the front of the house. There's a living room and very cosy kitchen which has been kept in the same condition as it was found when the house was left by Madame Michel to the commune of Coppet in 1944. There's a bedroom, music room, stairs for the gentry at the front of the house and stairs for the domestic servants at the back. This opens on to Rue Froide. This was also named "Bug Alley" because the maids threw their household refuse there and it attracted the bugs and cockroaches. Then of course there is the attic with "that" box, so if your children are being particularly difficult at the moment, why not take them along....

Apologies to readers for the lack of news over the past few days, the Living in Nyon editor has been over in London cheering on various teams at the Olympic Games including the Swiss rowing team at Eton Dorney! On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th August, the village of Gingins near Nyon will be cheering on resident and athlete Ellen Sprunger as she competes in the Women's Heptathlon event at the Olympic stadium.  You can read Ellen's   own blog here  see photos of her and read more about her in the Swiss press, here and here .  The latest news on her performance (from La Côte newspaper) is that on Friday morning she had already beaten her personal best in the 100 metre hurdles.  On the 5th August it is also her birthday, so let's hope she comes away from London 2012 with a medal for a birthday present! A reminder that the Open Air Cinema in Nyon continues until the 26th August. Tonight's film (Friday 3rd August) will be "On the Road" based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. The film starring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, and Kristen Stewart begins at 21:30. The bar and restaurant at the cinema is open at 19:00 for a pre-film drink and snack.  See the website here for the full programme of films over the next three weeks.

The BSCC Business Awards ceremony is due to take place on Wednesday 30th November at the Beau Rivage hotel in Geneva. Living in Nyon is a finalist in the awards. A film crew came to Nyon to film the editor and to find out more about this site and the town itself.  Check out the video below!

After a short summer break, Living in Nyon has been taking a look at what's been happening recently in the local news. Work on Nyon - St Cergue train line La Côte newspaper reports that from Tuesday 16th August until the 28th October, the NStCM train that runs from Nyon to La Cure in France, will not be operating between the stations of Arzier and St Cergue. This is to allow work and improvements to the line.  A bus to transport passengers has been assigned to replace the train during this time . See site here Strong Franc affects local businesses. La Côte also reports on how the strong Swiss Franc is affecting  Nyon businesses. The article interviews business owners and asks how they are coping in the current climate as customers travel over the border to France to take advantage of the favourable currency exchange.  The article appears in the edition of 19th August, the Friday edition is usually also on sale over the weekend. Events this weekend and over the next few days St Prex Classics A few miles further down the lake from Nyon, the St Prex Classics festival has now begun and will continues until the 28th August. St Prex is a very pretty village along Lac Léman and there is lots on the agenda at this festival from dance to classical music, including a recital by Nigel Kennedy violinist, with dance performances from Aurélie Dupont and Jérémie Bélingard -principal dancers from the L'Opera de Paris.  See website  for full details. FAR ends tomorrow Meanwhile in Nyon, FAR (the town's own art festival), comes to an end this Saturday 20th, so there is still time to catch a show for those interested in performance art. See website here  Flea Market and Boat Trips This Sunday 21st the monthly flea market takes place along Nyon's lake side.  This weekend it will also be possible to take a free trip out  the lake on the small boat the Nyolue 11. This will be organised by the charitable organisation the "Pirates of the Rive". Rive Jazzy event in September Rive Jazzy (the association behind Nyon's open air jazz concerts) has now finished its programme for the season, but the organisers will be organising  a "grand soiree" on the 10th September in the Usine a Gaz (renamed for this occasion as the Usine a Jazz!)  For info on the bands performing at this event and how to reserve tckets, see site here Big family picnic this Sunday open to public This Sunday the 21st August, "The Society of the development of Cheserex" is organising a big family picnic at La Barilette.  There are three ways to join the picnic - by walking with others to La Barilette, going by bike, or by car for those who need to use their own transport.    The apéro and picnic starts at 11:30, there is no need to reserve in advance, salads and bread will be provided, just bring your own meat to be barbecued!  Drinks will be on sale on site. Home made desserts will be most welcome for those who want to take one to share with others. This sounds like a fun event for a family day out. See the Cheserex website here  for more details. Other events coming up for your diary Nyon - Mulan   Musical in English for the family. Friday 26th, 27th and 28th August At the end of every summer the Really Youthful Group section of GAOS (the Geneva Operatic Society) puts on a musical in Nyon at the Théatre de Mârens. These performances are directed, produced and acted by young people and they are helped along by a guiding hand from older theatrical godmothers and godfathers in the society. They are a great way for children and teenagers to learn about theatre skills and directing, along with giving young people an opportunity to have lots of fun over the summer rehearsing for the show.   If you are new to Nyon, these musical events can also be a good way of meeting other expatriates, as there is usually a bar at the theatre where other adults meet to chat before or after the show. If you are interested in acting or musical theatre, you can find out more about GAOS too at the theatre. Coppet 26th August to 17th September - "Frankenstein" - big open air theatre performance (in French) in the courtyard of the castle . See site here Coming up soon on this site, the first in a series of of interviews by artist Stephanie Fonteyn with other local artists. The series begins with  Christine Collet. Plus details on a classic car show and a "Sherlock Holmes" festival.

There was a significant Cuban influence to the music at some of Thursday night's concerts at Paléo.  Firstly, the group "Afrocubism " blended traditional Cuban sound with music from Mali to an audience in the Chapiteau tent. Later on, over in the "Dome", the very talented Raul Paz  from Cuba played to a packed audience  and to much applause. "One of the best concerts so far this year at Paléo" according to many fans.   Over in the Club tent the rythmn was Cajun/Zydeco/Blues/ Rock from Geneva band Mama Rosin. For this particular set, the talented trio had teamed up with UK rockabilly band Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers .  A  superb combination of music and styles with an energetic performance from them all.  As this concert started at 17:00, (not long after the festival gates opened), the music and enthusiasm from the band got everyone dancing and kicked off the evening in style. (The Living in Nyon editor has written about this band for other publications and predicted they would go far, it seems they have, with recent appearances in Glastonbury and on Later with Jules Holland). The headline acts last night on the Grand Scene included Jean Louis Aubert, P. J Harvey and The Strokes, all them atracting big crowds. However the beauty of Paléo is that there are often smaller bands waiting to be discovered and are given the chance to perform at this festival.   The Detour is a tent that showcases up-and-coming Swiss bands and last night it was the turn of Lausanne based Proffesor Wouassa.   With their mix of afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk  and a range of different vocalists, their sound attracted many festival goers. Photos below vocalists from Proffesor Wouassa.  Many of these festival goers had simply been walking by the tent but ended up going inside to see who was playing and remained there through the entire set (some of them choosing to miss P. J Harvey who was playing at the same time on the main stage). A reminder also to readers that Paléo is not just for adults, it's for children too, entrance is free for them up to the age of 12. There are various areas that cater for children and they are situated in the La Ruche area of the grounds. This area is a quieter area of the festival grounds where children and parents can watch circus and theatre acts and listen to their own kind of music away from the main stages. For younger children, the Miel Melo is a designated area for children (no alcohol or smoking in here), and there are all sorts of games provided for entertainment, juggling, board games etc. The mud was still around last night resulting in some interesting footwear being worn. See photos and other images below. Apologies for slightly fuzzy quality of some of the above photos due to smoky atmosphere in some of the venues!

Living in Nyon has been contacted by a reader living in Genolier about this position with Orphan Aid. The  position is based in Geneva but may be interesting to someone living in Nyon and looking for an interesting voluntary job. Details below. OA Africa is looking for a Switzerland Country Manager (voluntary) OrphanAid Africa  is a registered charity based in Ghana helping families of children at risk of abandonment and gives them secure futures within their communities. Our goal is to strengthen families and communities so they can care for their own children. We work to keep families together, send children to school, keep mothers alive and protect children by transforming systems. The organisation in Switzerland is a voluntary fundraising group, run by a small board of four members who are looking for a Country Manager to run the day to day operations. Responsibilities and requirements of the role will include: Organising fundraising events Creating & executing new initiatives for fundraising Applying for public & private grants Management of membership database Issuing bi-monthly newsletter  Skills and experience preferred: Self motivated and enthusiastic English mandatory, French or German an advantage Access to a pc, with previous experience of MS Office Able to commit for approx 5 hours per week Duration of post – minimum 1 year  Previous experience with NGOs appreciated but not obligatory This volunteer role will be an integral part of the global OA community and we will be able to provide references at the end of the assignment. Please send your application in writing to the address below, or by e-mail to: suisse@oafrica.org OrphanAid Africa 3 rue des Pavillons 1205 Geneve For further information please check out the website at Orphan Aid Africa  email suisse@oafrica.org or contact Katie Kennedy    +41 78 621 22 80  or Teresa Francombe         +41 78 807 60 38

Photo above: A sculpture in the centre of Eysins. Here is the first article in a two part series on living and working in the commune of Eysins . Part two will be a feature on the new Terre Bonne Business centre which is also situated in Eysins. Eysins is a village which is just on the outskirts of Nyon and has a population of 1,271 residents (they are called "Les Eysinois"). In this article Gaëlle Miani, a resident of the village, tells Living in Nyon why she likes living in the area. We also find out what there is on offer in the village for residents.  Included in this post are photos of Judith Stoudmann-Panczél. Judith is a potter who lives in Nyon and has a workshop in Eysins. She gives pottery courses to members of the public (she speaks fluent English) and her work is available for sale through her atelier. Firstly, over to Gaëlle. "Five years ago, I came to live in Eysins , a lovely village with quiet surroundings and a peaceful way of life to boot. Probably very much like any other Swiss village in La Côte but with the added advantage of being very close to Nyon with its schools, hospital, train station and shops. I have also disovered that Eysins and the neighbouring villages have a lot to offer. Phot above: Gaëlle Miani. Eysins boasts a very well-supplied grocery store, a hairdressers and a fair few other services. It also has  a pleasant village atmosphere which was very plain to see on the 1st  August (Swiss National Day), at the Autumn fair, on Halloween, and at the New Year’s party.  Photo above: The local grocery store/ mini supermarket.  I enjoy shopping for fruit and vegetables in the surrounding farms. Farms such as la Ferme des Perettes, right in the centre of Eysins, la ferme de Pralies in Arnex and le Panier Gourmand in Signy-Avenex. Guichard Fleurs ( also in Arnex the neighbouring hamlet) is a good place to find both fresh bunches of flowers and potted plants. The Landi store is useful for getting seeds and plants for my vegetable and flower garden.  There is a bus line to Nyon (there are two bus stops in Eysins). Photos above: Scenes from Eysins All the conveniences are there to make one’s life easy and comfortable. As a mother-to-be, I particularly appreciated the services provided by the  maternity home La Grange Rouge,  and the Mère et Terre arcade in Grens. They gave me the knowledge and the tools to become the young mother I hoped to be, with a simple and natural approach to my new role.  New book club for Eysins. As I always welcome the opportunity to make new friends and exchange ideas and as I would much rather join in the fun and laughter than watch it from the sidelines, I have taken things into my own hands. After almost ten years of living in Switzerland, five of which were working in international schools, and five others happily married, bringing up two young children and working independently as a private tutor, translator and biographer , I have taken stock and realised that I have hardly made any friends outside my family and work circle. So I have started a book club to reach out towards others, to meet people with similar interests and to widen my horizons (which recently seem to have narrowed down to nappies, milk bottles, teething and the like !) I would like to be more integrated and to contribute to making my village a welcoming and interesting place to live. Photo above: Eysins town hall  The book club is open to new members those who would like to meet new people. We get together on the third Wednesday of each month at 8.30 pm. Members take turn at hosting the event". If you would like to sign up or get more information, please contact Gaëlle on 078 742 6176 or e-mail her via her website . There is a contact form on both the biography and the translation part on the website and she hopes to get a page for the book club up and running soon. The next meeting is on Wedenesday 16 th November 2011 and the discussion will be on The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. She looks forward to hearing from like-minded people!    Photo above "EysinsInfo"  the Eysins newsletter  Photo above: Judith, local potter with a workshop in Eysins. If you are interested in attending one of her ceramic/pottery courses you can email her autourdelaterreg@hotmail.com tel 022 361 1642

Welcome to Living In Nyon's very first bilingual Paléo review! This article will start off in English before switching to French for a couple of paragraphs. This year's Paléo had been announced as being slightly more nostalgic than past editions, being an anniversary edition and all. Last night was possibly the most nostalgic of nights, as one of the bands who played at the very first festival in Nyon were back, 39 years later. Malicorne , a French band who were part of the folk revival in the 70s, got back together last year for a few concerts, and it was only logical that they come to Paléo. Playing traditional and ancient instruments, they sang melancholic ballads and beautiful folk songs to the people who had assembled to see them. Sadly there weren't that many people - Malicorne aren't a very famous band, and would appeal more to the people who knew them in the 70s- but those who were there looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Even though one might expect to only see old hippies who had seen them play live 40 years earlier, there were actually quite a few younger people, a sign that there are always new people ready to discover a bit of musical history. You can watch some incredible footage of the First Folk Festival (as it was called back in 1976!), including some of Malicorne playing in the salle communale in Nyon here. Later on under the Dôme, the wild strings of Violons Barbares enthralled the crowd. Bringing together a Mongolian throat singer and violinist, a Bulgarian violinist and a French drummer, they harness the power of their respective traditions to create  powerful and savage music. L'attraction majeure de la soirée était bien évidemment  120'' présente Paléo. La foule était présente en force devant la grand scène pour ce spectacle unique préparé pour célébrer en bonne et due forme le 40e festival. Rien ne fut épargné par les deux Vincent, et tous les éléments les plus symboliques du Festival depuis 39 ans furent passé au crible de leur humour acerbe et décomplexé. Le ton était donné dès la présentation du spectacle, Vincent Kucholl imitant avec brio l'allure et l'accent du présentateur habituel de la grande scène, l'iconique Mik. Bien que traversé par quelques longueurs par moments, le spectacle a réussi à évoquer tout ce qui faisait l'identité du Paléo, mobilisant les personnages phares de 120 secondes pour le faire, ainsi qu'un ensemble de danseur bolywoodien et des break-dancers. Du camping avec l'attachant Serge Jaquet , aux finances du festival avec l'horrible Reto Zenhäusern, rien ni personne ne fut épargné. Daniel et Jacques au First Folk Festival Un moment d'anthologie, le "reportage inédit" de la TF1 sur la première édition du Festival avec les deux Vincent jouant Jacques Monnier et Daniel Rosselat de manière incroyablement juste. Allusion à une possible carrière politique de Rosselat, à l'idée saugrenue de tenir le festival en extérieur- même sur la plaine de l'Asse!- la séquence était hilarante. Un peu plus tard, c'est l'intégriste religieux et diacre de Chastavel, Jean-Gabriél Cuenod, qui est venu célébrer la foule de Paléo en remémorant le moment où la foule de Paléo avait hué nos voisins Français lors du concert de Stromae. Un moment magique pour cet homme qui veut remplacer pop et rock par yodel et musiques militaires, mobilisant un jeune enfant de chœur- qui a chanté sans broncher devant 45'000 personnes, assez impressionnant- et des poulies qui le firent s'envoler vers les cieux et flotter audessus de la foule pour délivrer son message d'intolérance. Bien sûr, la musique avait sa place au centre de ce spectacle, et c'est à grand renfort de show pyrotechnique que Black Lion Génocide, le mythique groupe de métal valaisan de Steve Berclaz est venu conclure la soirée. Leurs hits comme "Break Your Arm" ont déchainé la foule, et c'était assez visible que les personnes sur scène s'éclataient tout autant à jouer. En somme, 90 très bonnes minutes qui ont célébré le festival avec humour et satire, la marque d'un festival qui sait ne pas trop se prendre au sérieux.

From time to time Living in Nyon features articles which are written by guest writers. For this post, Phillipe Martinet, a local deputy and councillor in Gland for the past 25 years, has written about his perspective on local Swiss politics.  He sums up  what he feels he has (or hasn't!) achieved in the 25 years that he has been representing his community. Please note this article has been translated from the French (also added below). Photos below: scenes from around Gland and Nyon. "Militia politicians, typical Swiss political animals"  by Philippe Martinet "If you enjoy being swept up in the momentum of a revolutionary wave, hearing tantalising phrases that spice up French political life, or reading about careers being destroyed by affairs and scandals in the Sun or the Bild,  you may find our political system disappointingly boring! In Switzerland, there is a delicious saying that “the drama is hidden behind the geraniums”. In other words, it takes years participating in committees, commissions and other meetings in hidden back rooms of local restaurants to begin to really understand where the power is hidden, and then to potentially be able to pull a few levers. You would have thought that with the three levels of executive power – communal, cantonal and federal (generally five to seven members)  there is enough enough room to manoeuvre. However, do not forget that with referendums and the “right to popular initiative”, direct democracy is pushed to the extreme at all levels. Added to this, the paradigms of  “consensus” and “compatibility” all result in executive power composed of elected members being condemned to a marriage of reason with colleagues from other political parties. This means they are obliged to rise to sacrosanct corporate governance and it prevents them from criticising the decisions taken together. Photo below: New Gland - The Swiss Quote building.  Because of this, in France it takes five years to put a TGV on their railway lines, when the king of the republic decides it, while in Switzerland there are still 600 oppositions per kilometre of line at Olten against the project Rail 2000! In Switzerland, politicians spend most of their time constructing a majority within a group of people, rather than actually governing. That said, within this context, you will not be surprised that politics can seem to be a senseless hobby rather than an actual career for most of the elected representatives of Switzerland, particularly for those working in the legislative areas.  "I cannot imagine the following words carved on my gravestone..." During 25 years of being a councillor of Gland, I have been busy twenty nights per year. Despite my hyperactivity, I have to admit that I cannot confirm to having been decisive on any particular project… As to my role in the High Council of the canton of Vaud (a parliament of 150 members) where I have been for  twelve years,  I sit there for six hours every Tuesday, plus an average of two to fifteen hours for a commission or for party meetings ( the Green party) then there are the "representations", and let's not  forget preparing and working on all those files. Considering all this, I still cannot imagine the following words carved on my gravestone “here lies the deputy thanks to whom…”. This highly participative but weak system has nevertheless certain advantages: it encourages the development and maturing of ideas, it is a school of patience and humility for those elected, and it gives us a sense of responsibility and permits the people of Switzerland to vote on a dozen, often difficult, questions per year. "No giant sways from left to right on the political boat" I believe that this is at the origins of the extraordinary dynamics of all our associations and groups, which is the very fabric of society. This way, instead of giant sways from left to right, swaying the political boat, adjustments are a continual process, made by little changes along the way, and the Swiss trawler continues its course even in stormy weather. In concrete terms in the region, the idea of paying to pollute (bin taxes), necessary development of public transport, or day-nurseries for families needing them: all these exotic propositions from 20 years ago are becoming facts today. You will even find the majority of citizens accept the increase in taxes to finance them. As you’ve had the courage to read me up to this point, next time I will let you know what is cooking, both on the national and regional scale, in the Helvetic political cooking pot. To be continued. Philippe Martinet, deputy and councillor, Gland Le politicien de milice, animal politique suisse typique Si vous aimez les lendemains qui chantent des grands élans révolutionnaires, ou les petites phrases assassines qui jalonnent la vie politique française, ou les carrières qui se font ou défont à coups « d’affaires » et de scandales dans le Sun ou le Bild … vous risquez de trouver notre système bien ennuyeux ! Il faut dire qu’en Suisse, selon une formule savoureuse, le drame se cache derrière les géraniums… C’est dire qu’il faut des années de comités, commissions, et autres séances dans des arrière-salles de bistrots  avant de commencer à comprendre vraiment où se cache le pouvoir, et éventuellement être en mesure d’actionner un ou deux leviers. Certes, on peut avoir l’impression que les exécutifs des trois niveaux - communal, cantonal et fédéral (généralement de 5 à 7 membres) – ont une certaine marge de manoeuvre. Mais c’est oublier qu’avec le référendum et le droit d’initiative populaire, la démocratie directe est poussée à l’extrême à tous les niveaux. Et si vous y ajoutez les paradigmes du « consensus » et de la « concordance », qui font que les exécutifs sont composés d’élu-es condamnés à un mariage de raison avec leurs collègues issu-es d’autres partis, tenu-es de surcroît à une sacro-sainte collégialité les empêchant de critiquer les décisions prises collégialement, vous comprendrez pourquoi il faut 5 ans aux Français pour mettre un TGV sur les rails – quand le roi de la République le veut bien – alors qu’il a encore 600 oppositions par kilomètre de voies à Olten au projet suisse Rail 2000  ! Tout cela pour expliquer qu’en Suisse, le politicien passe davantage de temps à construire une majorité auprès d’une nuée d’acteurs, qu’à gouverner réellement. Dans ce contexte, vous ne serez pas surpris que la politique ne soit qu’un loisir déraisonnable et non un métier pour l’immense majorité des élu-es en Suisse, en particulier dans les législatifs. Ainsi, depuis 25 ans à Gland, mon mandat de conseiller communal (législatif de 75 membres) m’occupe une vingtaine de soirs par année. Et malgré une hyperactivité certaine, il m’est impossible d’affirmer avoir été vraiment déterminant sur un projet ou un autre… Quant à mon rôle de député au Grand Conseil du canton de Vaud (parlement de 150 membres) depuis 12 ans, je siège tous les mardis six heures durant, plus en moyenne deux heures à quinzaine pour une commission, outre les séances de partis – Les Verts – et les représentations, sans oublier la préparation des dossiers. Et là également, pas moyen d’écrire sur ma pierre tombale : « ici gît le député grâce à qui… ». Ce système à la fois très participatif mais très dilué a toutefois certains avantages : il permet la maturation des idées ; il est une école de patience et d’humilité pour les élu-e-s ; il conduit à responsabiliser et faire voter le Peuple sur une dizaine de questions par année, parfois très complexes ; et je pense qu’il est à l’origine de l’extraordinaire dynamisme du milieu associatif, qui est la trame même du tissu social. Ainsi, au lieu de grands coups de barre à gauche ou à droite, faisant tanguer le navire, les ajustements ont lieu en continu, par petites touches : et le chalutier suisse va sa route même par gros temps. Concrètement dans la région, l’idée du pollueur payeur (taxe poubelle), le développement nécessaire des transports publics, ou de crèches garderies pour toutes les familles qui en ont besoin : toutes ces propositions exotiques il y a 2o ans, deviennent des évidences aujourd’hui. Et vous trouvez même des majorités de citoyen-nes acceptant des hausses d’impôts pour les financer. Et comme vous avez eu le courage de me lire jusque là, dans une prochaine chronique, je vous dirai ce qui cuit dans la marmite politique helvétique et régionale. A suivre. Philippe Martinet, député et conseiller communal, Gland