European Centre for Research on Federalism

Europäische Länderberichte [European country reports]

Föderalismus und Mehrsprachigkeit in der Schweiz

Dieter Freiburghaus / Felix Buchli

pp. 307-321

Despite its four languages, Switzerland rarely experiences conflict between its German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic groups. Many observers attribute this to the countrys federalist structure and thus recommend federalism as a solution for ethnic conflicts in other countries. This is dangerous because federalism is just one among many factors fostering peaceful co-existence in Switzerland. Kenneth McRae's theory of cross-cutting cleavages offers still a useful explanation. There are also historical reasons: whereas most nations started out relatively homogeneous in ethnic terms, Switzerland made its heterogeneity into a special hallmark. Diversity in all its aspects has become an important element of Swiss identity. This does not prevent language-based conflicts, but as soon as they appear a social immune system mobilises itself to fight off the disease.

Suggested citation for this article:
Freiburghaus, Dieter/Buchli, Felix 2004: Föderalismus und Mehrsprachigkeit in der Schweiz, in: Europäisches Zentrum für Föderalismus-Forschung (ed.): Jahrbuch des Föderalismus 2004. Föderalismus, Subsidiarität und Regionen in Europa, Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, p. 307-321.