Unlike Switzerland as a whole, where only 47% of voters on Sunday backed government plans for bigger motorways, the Swiss Abroad gave them a clear thumbs-up. They also voted differently on subletting, agreeing to tighten the rules. Although a clear Swiss Abroad yes was predicted as early as October by the first Swiss Broadcasting Corporation poll, the result of 57% is nonetheless surprising and difficult to interpret. It is usual for the diaspora and the domestic population to vote differently – although the scope of the analyses is limited by the fact that only 12 cantons out of 26 provide separate statistics on how their citizens living abroad vote. But traditionally, the most pro-environment and left-wing vote comes from expatriates, not from those living in Switzerland. The most recent example came in September, when a majority of the diaspora backed the biodiversity initiative, even though it failed at a national level. On Sunday, the opposite was true. Political scientist ...
