Corine Mauch: Powering - Swiss News

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the 2000-watt city © Switzerland Tourism/swiss-image.ch/Christof Sonderegger You did not have any experience in the city council. What lessons have you learned in your first year? Having to learn the technicalities of chairing the meetings, while at the same time getting acquainted with my own portfolio, was challenging. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how well the council members listen to each other and how solution-oriented all my colleagues are. I enjoyed the direct contact with all sorts of people – artists, captains of industry, people in neighbourhoods – more than I imagined. By contrast, what I found the most difficult, was the loss of my autonomy. With such an agenda, your time is simply not your own anymore. That was a hard lesson. As mayor, you chair the meetings, but work as part of a collegial body. How do you make your imprint on local policy? I find it extremely important to have a good working atmosphere. With the three new council members recently appointed, we are now finding a different rhythm. We have just attended a retreat meeting devoted to our working methods. A good working relationship is not a given thing: it needs investment; it needs reflection. Are we fulfilling our own requirements? In the 1990s, council indecision left the legacy of a massive open drugs scene in Zurich, which was left unattended for far too long … Colleagues who have been in the council for many years confirm that the Stadtrat (city council) really has improved its collaboration. Working together, regardless of political background is a The woman who keeps Zurich ticking Corine Mauch was born on May 28, 1960 in Iowa City in the Midwestern United States, and grew up in Canton Aargau. She is the daughter of Ursula Mauch, who chaired the Social Democratic Party in the Swiss Federal Parliament between 1987 and 1995. She completed her education, studying agricultural economics at the ETH Zurich. After several jobs in local and national government, and in science – all with a focus on environmental and ecological issues – she became politically active in Zurich in 1999. Her star rose within the socialist fraction of the municipal council, to finally be elected Zurich’s mayor in 2009. Mauch, who plays bass in a rock band and loves the Swiss outdoors, is the first openly gay mayor of Zurich. © SP Stadt Zürich politics ⏐ september 2010 17
esource, and it is my goal as a president to keep these resources available for the future. Zurich wants to be a 2000-watt society. What does that mean? The city of Zurich has committed itself to achieving the ambitious goal of a 2000-watt society by 2050. This means that, on average, a citizen will not exceed 2,000 watts of energy consumption at any given moment. We will have to reduce the use of energy, build in a sustainable manner, create incentives to increase the use of public transport, and so on. The quality of the environment matters. At the World Expo in Shanghai, the central theme of the Swiss cities was clean water. We are very proud of the quality of our lake, for all citizens to enjoy. The quality of life in Zurich attracts an enormous influx of foreigners, especially Germans. Is the pressure too high? I don’t see that as a problem. On the contrary, Zurich is glad to see its population grow and get younger. The security level is high. The city is becoming more attractive for families with young children. In the 1990s people moved away. Zurich was referred to as a ‘Triple-A City’, but in a negative sense: Alt, Arbeitslos, Alleinerziehend [old, unemployed, singleparent]. That trend has been reversed. Certainly, it is a challenge to offer affordable housing and to successfully integrate all foreigners in Zurich. Integration belongs to your own portfolio. You hear a lot about so called “petty discrimination”: young foreigners not finding internships, or people with the “wrong” names being rejected for apartments … We have over 30 per cent foreigners from some 170 nations living in Zurich. I consider this an asset with enormous potential. Healthcare, higher education, and so many other fields would be impossible without the foreign workforce. A lot of inhabitants come from the Balkan region; the most recent immigrants belong to a higher social segment, which we have always wanted. My perception is that we live quite well together in Zurich. As to ‘petty’ discrimination, we have carried out a successful pilot with students applying for internships anonymously. The city manages the allocation of apartments for 25 per cent of the total housing body, which is a high percentage, but can obviously only do so much when it comes to the other 75 per cent. In capitals such as Amsterdam, the tolerance of homosexuality is decreasing; today, there is even open violence. How is it in Zurich? 18 politics ⏐ september 2010 “Zurich is glad to see its popu lation grow and get younger. In the 1990s people moved away. Zurich was referred to as a ‘Triple-A City’: Alt, Arbeitslos, Alleinerziehend [old, unemployed, single-parent]. That trend has been reversed. We have over 30 per cent foreigners from some 170 nations. I consider this an asset with enormous potential. My perception is that we live quite well together in Zurich. You can only fight discrimination by opening up yourself. What I can do as a homosexual woman is to be quite frank about the fact that I live with a woman. I can be the mayor of this city without hiding a part of my life. I understand that this may be new for some people, something that they haven’t experienced before. But you can help them by displaying an open attitude about your identity. Zurich has national and international alliances with other cities. How important are these coalitions? More than 50 per cent of the world population lives in cities. We can learn a lot from each other. I was personally impressed by the example of Copenhagen, with its green policy. For our part, Zurich has been able to inspire our Chinese partner for 28 years, Kunming. The notion of cultural heritage is virtually non-existent in China, with the majority of inner cities having been torn down. However, with our relationship of trust, we have been able to prevent a part of central Kunming from being demolished. As a result, the city is now proud of its historic centre and searches for investors for other renovations. – Corine Mauch on Zurich’s influx of foreign workers ” The Greater Zurich Area does a good job of attracting global companies to the region. Yet, budget and aims of the organisation are currently being reconsidered. Why? The city doesn’t doubt the effectiveness of the organisation; however, circumstances change. A study has shown that companies are still very interested to team up with Zurich-based companies, and to work together on a project basis. Only half the firms are actually interested in a classical physical presence here. The other half wants to exchange knowledge by networking with Zurich firms. The value of this theme-based cooperation and networking is obvious, although it may be more difficult to measure. The city has emerged in good shape from the economic downturn. Where will Zurich be at the end of your term in 2014? The town will have re-established itself as a financial capital, but this time on a sound basis, with honest and clean banking services. The cultural life will even be more vibrant than today and the population will be able to appreciate a mild and tolerant social climate, with affordable homes for everybody. And, by consistently taking all the necessary steps and measuring our progress, we will be will well underway towards the long-term goal of the 2000-watt society.
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