Polyglot Switzerland ‘could do better’ at federal level
Representation of Switzerland’s four main language communities is meeting its targets within the federal administration but could still be improved, says a study.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
Русский
ru
Швейцарское многоязычие завершается в чиновных кабинетах в Берне?
In the past 20 years the over-representation of German speakers has been reduced, the Centre for Democracy Studies (ZDA) said on Tuesday at a virtual press conference.
Representation of the different linguistic communities is close to objectives for the 38,000 federal employees. It is estimated at 68.5-70.5% for German; 21.5-23.5% for French; 6.5-8.5% for Italian; and 0.5-1% for Romansh. German speakers are still slightly over-represented among senior managers, says ZDA.
More
French, German, Italian, Romansh, English: How do the Swiss talk to each other?
Switzerland’s cultural scene is linguistically intertwined.
But representation is variable according to different departments. Some 60% of federal employees still work in offices where linguistic minorities are not adequately represented. The situation is improving, but multilingualism still needs more efforts, according to the report.
‘Let’s be realistic’
The Constitution and the 2007 law on languages provide that Switzerland’s four linguistic groups be represented within the federal administration and that they have a right to express themselves there in their language of choice. However, the reality is still very different.
Isabelle Moret, president of the House of Representatives and a member of the parliamentary group for linguistic plurality, welcomed the study. She said it shows “in figures what we sometimes feel in parliament but have not been able to prove”.
Moret, who hails from French-speaking canton Vaud, says she has never heard anyone speaking Italian or Romansh in parliamentary commissions. French-speakers have it easier, “but let’s be realistic: to be sure that they have been understood, they sum up what they have said in German”.
More
More
The art of interpreting in Switzerland’s polyglot parliament
This content was published on
Ensuring Swiss politicians can understand each other is challenging, stressful but rewarding, says one of parliament’s official interpreters.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Public radio admonished for ignoring Romansh language
This content was published on
The ombuds office of the German-language SRF radio channel approved a complaint by an interest group for Romansh culture, saying a 17-minute programme on language variety in Switzerland did not report adequately. Not only did the German-language programme leave out a mention of Romansh, but it also oversimplified the region where Italian is spoken in…
Swiss parliamentarians invited to speak more languages
This content was published on
Members of the Swiss parliament and civil servants are being invited to speak another language for a day in September next year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.