April 2004, elected to the Rovio City Council, March 2024 to the National Council: Greta Gysin, what assessment can you draw from these exactly twenty years of politics?
«They have been intense years and of great changes, with an undoubtedly positive outcome: the party has grown a lot, at every level, and ecology today has a different importance compared to twenty years ago. Now the challenge is to translate electoral growth into political successes. We have also made progress in this sense, but considering the urgency of the environmental and climate crisis, definitely not enough."
Your greatest satisfaction?
«In terms of content, certainly the approval of the popular initiative for the introduction of the minimum wage in Ticino. Even with the limits of the current law, if we have a minimum wage in Ticino it is thanks to the popular initiative which would not have happened without my input and contribution. Personally, the greatest success was the re-election to the National Council last autumn. In a period that was not very favorable to my party, the confirmation of the National seat was anything but a given. Having managed, despite everything, to create the energy and enthusiasm necessary to improve the result of the cantonal elections and therefore confirm the seat is a great personal satisfaction."
And his biggest disappointment?
«Not being able to avoid the rift in the party, which then led to my decision not to run again for the Grand Council in 2015. I did what I could while I could, but I wasn't able to keep the internal dialogue alive. Even today the cantonal section suffers from the damage created in those years."
She spent her youth mainly doing politics. Have you ever had the regret or desire to have a more carefree youth?
«Politics has always been a passion, and engaging in this area from a young age is a natural choice. However, in my youth I had (and still have!) my carefree moments, so no, I am proud of what I did and I have no regrets, nor do I miss or have missed other things. However, it is true that my professional path is particular, because even if we continue to delude ourselves that in Switzerland politics is militia, in reality it absorbs a good part of our time, relegating the rest of our occupations to the role of ancillary activities."
Is politics in Switzerland no longer militia?
«At a federal level it is increasingly difficult, because the dossiers are more and more and more complex. The obstinacy in wanting to defend the illusion of the militia parliament is that both the administration and the lobbies have increasingly more power. If we want politics to return to having a central role in the management of our country and to be able to decide the direction in which to take it, then we must first of all recognize that society has changed, that politics has different rhythms and that the dossiers are decidedly more complex than to the past. Parliament needs more and other means, I am deeply convinced of this."
Have you ever felt like you were at a disadvantage as a woman?
"Depends. At the moment, for example, given that I am the only woman in the Ticino delegation, I enjoy greater visibility compared to my male colleagues; in general, however, a woman who works in traditionally male fields, and politics is undoubtedly one of these, finds it more difficult to be accepted and taken seriously, so she must always demonstrate that she knows how to work well and is able to formulate projects by supporting them and carrying them forward with full knowledge of the facts. In short, our women's competence and ability are not recognized regardless, as is often the case for men, but we must make a greater effort. As a young woman it was even worse, then as a young left-wing woman...".
In your opinion, is there a "feminine way" to politics, a different approach and/or reading between men and women to reality and its interpretation?
«I realize the risk of generalizing when answering this question, nevertheless I feel like saying that women tend to make policies that are more attentive to the needs and rights of others, therefore a more social and environmentally friendly policy. But even more than the contents, what changes is the approach to the dossiers and debates. Starting with preparation - precisely because of what was said before, women usually study in more depth than men, who instead have less difficulty in taking a position without in-depth knowledge of the issues".
City Council, Grand Council, National Council are the traditional steps of the "cursus honorum" of Swiss politics. Leaving aside the first, what difference did you find between the others?
«First of all, in the National Council, where the times and spaces for discussion are much more defined, much less time is wasted compared to the Grand Council. Furthermore, often an object arrives in the commission, it is discussed once and then directly in the chamber in the following session; in Bellinzona, however, government messages arrive at the commission and often remain there for far, far too long. If the Grand Council gave itself a little more structure it would gain in efficiency, doing much more in less time. And – I dare say – better, because the quality of the debates, of the political dialogue and therefore of the parliamentary result would also improve".
Twenty years of green politics: has anything changed in this period of time?
«The perception that the population has towards ecological issues and the people who carry them forward in politics has changed a lot: today I no longer perceive so strongly the prejudices and preconceptions of the past. Furthermore, twenty years ago there were only a few of us and a very small party, today there are many more of us and the party has grown and given itself adequate structures. Once upon a time we were a rare species, but today we are an important presence in the Swiss political ecosystem." In recent years the latest generation of ecological activists has made itself known above all for sensational and shocking gestures, such as defacing paintings in museums or gluing themselves on the streets".
What do you think of this trend?
«The power of activism, and civil disobedience linked to it, are often directly proportional to the gravity and urgency of the issues it addresses. Let's think about the protests in the agricultural world in recent weeks: the great interest of the category and the urgency of the measures has led to roadblocks which in comparison to those of the climate activists make us smile... In any case, activism is one thing, politics another one. I have always chosen this last path."
About ten years ago he declared that the Greens' main challenge would be to free themselves from all the stereotypes from which they still suffered. Challenge successful?
«There is and I believe there will always be a segment of the population that is prejudicially not interested in hearing or delving into certain issues; However, I believe that environmental awareness among the majority of the population has increased, so consequently that prejudices and stereotypes have decreased. As a result, the economy is also increasingly trying to reduce its impact. Today you no longer find many people who deny the existence of environmental problems, although unfortunately this still does not lead us to adopt the necessary measures. However, awareness is the first step towards doing so."
Do you therefore consider yourselves, today as then, an avant-garde?
«Actually yes. My party has been a precursor in various fields, not only environmental but also social. For example, we were the first to propose marriage for everyone, already in the 90s; then the time was not ripe and the parliamentary act was rejected, but thirty years later the majority of the Swiss population (64,1%, ed.) accepted this proposal, so marriage is a reality for everyone today. On environmental issues it's the same thing: today we do what the Greens asked for decades ago. If politics had acted then, we would not be so vulnerable today. However, certain proposals often need time to mature and find their way into people's consciences. It's a shame, but that's how it is."
The so-called "green deal", however, often involves constraints and impositions that make its acceptance and consequently its implementation problematic...
«It is a fact that awareness of a problem does not necessarily lead to new and more virtuous behaviors. Let's take an example: I don't think there is anyone today who denies the problem of air pollution in Mendrisiotto; however, when it comes to deciding how to intervene to reduce traffic, resistance emerges. Our difficulty as ecologists lies precisely here, in convincing people that we can change things and our own behaviors without making great sacrifices and without affecting our quality of life."
According to a recent survey, the Swiss believe they live sustainably, even if in reality this is not the case. How do you convince them to behave in a more environmentally correct way?
«Change must happen step by step; thinking of doing everything differently and almost perfectly from one day to the next is dooming yourself to failure and disappointment. I don't know anyone, not even the most perfect ecologist (and I'm certainly not one) who has succeeded. First you need to reflect and analyze your actions and habits, then start from the little things. It can be a start to reflect critically on one's consumption; we talk a lot about mobility and nutrition, but less about this aspect, which is however equally important: our homes and our wardrobes are full of objects that we have purchased and which are actually superfluous but have an environmental impact in production. So a very simple thing we can do before buying anything is to ask ourselves if we really need it, or if we can't get it otherwise by borrowing it from someone or finding it second hand: our quality of life will not be affected, but in in return our environment and our finances will benefit. Furthermore, the reduction of superfluous consumption is one of the areas in which, if you behave in a virtuous manner from an environmental point of view, you can save money".
It is still a decrease in consumption, i.e. a degrowth. Maybe even happy but still happy, don't you think?
"Not necessarily. Those who do not want to reduce their environmental impact could consume in more sustainable areas. For example, from clothing, one of the sectors with the greatest waste and environmental impact, to catering: if instead of buying yet another pair of jeans, we spent that money to go to dinner in a restaurant, we consume it in a sector with a lower impact environmental. At the same time, the local economy is also supported."
Twenty years ago the first election, after twenty years in the National Council, how do you imagine in twenty years?
«Actually, I don't imagine myself at all. My experience leads me to say things happen more often by chance than because they have been carefully planned. I therefore prefer to focus on the present, and do well the job that the electorate has called me to do. Then I will tackle everything step by step, in the next elections in 2027 and in 2044. One thing is certain: to do politics you need passion and vision. The day I realize I no longer have enough, I will go back to focusing on other things."
