The lack of representation of seniors in cantonal parliaments was recently highlighted in Neuchâtel by the president of AVIVO, an association which defends the interests of retirees. In Arcinfo, he denounces the increase in poverty among retirees and the absence of real political awareness on this subject.
In Switzerland, people aged 65 and over represent around 20% of the total population, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). If we focus only on citizens of Swiss nationality, this proportion even reaches almost 24%.
An even more marked trend in certain cantons, such as Neuchâtel, Valais and Jura, where retirees form a significant part of the population. A proportion which is expected to continue to increase over the coming decades.
An imbalance sometimes pointed out
However, when we examine the composition of cantonal parliaments, we see a clear discrepancy between the share of seniors in the population and their political representation. In the canton of Fribourg, for example, only 9% of current deputies are over 65 years old. Valais and Vaud reach 13% and 16% respectively, while Neuchâtel is at 17%. Geneva and the Jura record the highest proportion with 20% of senior deputies, but this remains less than the 24% of Swiss retirees within the population.
This imbalance raises a major problem: are elderly people, faced with specific challenges such as insecurity or access to care, really heard in decision-making processes? Some believe that increasing the average age of elected officials could improve consideration of the needs of this segment of the population. Others, however, argue that the age of deputies is not necessarily decisive in effectively defending the interests of retirees; it would be enough for elected officials, whatever their age, to become truly aware of these issues.
“It is the elders who make the world of tomorrow”
For Claude-Alain Kleiner, president of AVIVO Neuchâtel, who signed the recent article in Arcinfo, the fact of not being represented in decision-making power is “a real problem in relation to the population”. “This lack of representativeness testifies to the failure to take into account the problems that retirees encounter,” he underlined Thursday in the RTS Forum program.
For her part, Cloé Dutoit, Green deputy in the Grand Council of Neuchâtel, recalls that the National Council and the Council of States have an average age of 50 and 55 years respectively. “In Switzerland, it is the elderly who make the world of tomorrow. Indeed if we look at the results of the 2021 cantonal elections, in terms of voters, those aged 65 and over alone represented 36% of voters”.
>> Listen to the debate in Forum between Claude-Alain Kleiner and Chloé Dutoit:
Radio subject: Romain Bardet
Web texts: Hélène Krähenbühl
Swiss
