“Grisons don't exist,” commented Southeast Switzerland the day after the No vote, referring to the divide between south and east and north and west of the canton. Graubünden 2022 actually failed to break up the petty valley mentality and create a sense of togetherness.
There are as many experts on the “why” as there are voters. However, many people from Graubünden obviously still prefer to see their economic competitor in the other part of the canton than where they actually sit: outside Switzerland.
You can now complain that tourism in other countries has better starting points, produces more cheaply or receives more government funding. But what really sets our competitors apart from us is the hunger for success. Anyone who loses this hunger loses the will to win, both sportively and economically.
The dream that I dreamt too won't work out. But that's no reason to bury your head in the powder snow now. Many thousands of people from Graubünden have placed their trust in us. They voted “yes” to a lively canton, to a Grisons that is actively working on its future. From now on, on a small and large scale, we should try to continue the spirit of Grisons in 2022.
“Bock at the Olympics” was the title of the Bündner Tagblatt a year ago. “Bock auf Graubünden” should be the headline from today.
Christian Gartmann
Head of Communications & Marketing Graubünden 2022, St. Moritz