Summary
The Valais tourism board's recent election of a new president, convicted of serious crimes including sexual assault, has sparked outrage. The president's dismissive attitude towards his victim, who works at the organisation, further demonstrates a troubling lack of leadership and respect. This situation not only tarnishes Valais' reputation but also highlights the dangers of silence and complicity in the face of injustice.
It has always troubled me when people hesitate to speak out, express the truth, or stand up for what’s right. The Buttet affair is a perfect example of this.
Especially when it comes to respecting other people.
My home canton of Valais, as idyllic as it may be, is currently going through a major leadership crisis – a literal man made crisis. And this crisis threatens to tarnish its positive image and undermine its reputation as a tourist destination.
A few weeks ago the Chamber of Tourism of Valais elected a new president. 12 men and one woman unanimously voted for a former member of the Swiss parliament.
The board’s apparent belief that this decision wouldn’t spark outrage is a troubling statement in itself.
On top of this several years ago, the newly elected president was convicted of coercion, misappropriation, sexual assault, and obscene language (this is public knowledge, widely reported in Swiss media).
As if that weren’t bad enough, one of his victims works at the tourism organisation. And she now faces the prospect of working under her abuser.
Silence is complicity
When asked about this, he stated in an interview “Work is one thing, private life is another. We are adults. It doesn’t matter to me at all. I hope it’s the same for her.”
No other candidates were up for election and
no discussion occurred regarding his past conviction
What kind of leadership does this demonstrate?
What kind of leadership allows for this much disrespect towards victims of abuse?
Moreover what message does it send when an organisation normalises and condones such behaviour through its own actions?
Silence is complicity.
Silence is acceptance.
And silence is also cowardice.
Several organisations have already initiated a referendum to prevent this individual from assuming his new role.
The Buttet affair will be something to be remembered.
This is not my typical topic I write about, but given its topicality in terms of leadership and the fact that I grew up in the canton of Valais, I included this here.
media: https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/valais/2024/article/tolle-autour-de-la-nomination-de-yannick-buttet-a-la-tete-de-la-chambre-valaisanne-de-tourisme-28565802.html
Swiss German media:
https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/ehemaliger-cvp-nationalrat-walliser-tourismuskammer-verhilft-yannick-buttet-zum-comeback
