The Council of Europe says the Swiss authorities should adopt, as a priority, cantonal and/or local legislation on the use of French and German in public life in the municipalities where they are non-official minority or majority languages.
In a report published on Wednesday, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts under the European Charter for Regional or Minority LanguagesExternal link (ECRML) also recommended Switzerland take additional measures promoting the use of Italian and Romansh in economic and social life.
On a general note, the report by the Council of Europe – which is not connected to the European Union – welcomed the financial assistance provided by the federal authorities to the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Graubünden and Valais for their efforts to promote multilingualism. It also underlined that Switzerland complied with all of the Charter undertakings regarding Italian in canton Ticino.
While Italian and Romansh are used at all levels of education, the report noted that delays occurred in the publication of educational materials. It acknowledged, however, that new educational materials for Italian were being developed.
Italian and, to a limited extent, Romansh are used in court. While the use of Italian by the cantonal administration of Graubünden – Switzerland’s only officially trilingual canton – has improved, “shortcomings persist in using this language on institutional websites”, the authors said.
Positive developments covered by the report include a new coordination unit set up to support the cantonal administration and municipalities and an action plan to promote Italian and Romansh.
More
More
How many Swiss regularly use at least four languages?
This content was published on
Almost two-thirds (64%) of Swiss use more than one language at least once a week, with 38% using two, 19% three and 7% four or more.
What’s more, Italian and Romansh are used on public radio and television as well as in the press. Romansh is also used in private television and radio programmes, but there is no private radio station broadcasting exclusively in Romansh.
The report welcomed the creation in 2020 of the state-funded Fundaziun Medias Rumantschas, whose task is to provide the Romansh media with journalistic content in Romansh. The report suggests the creation of a private radio station in Romansh and measures encouraging Romansh speakers to use their language before judicial authorities.
More
More
Screen romance à la Romansh
This content was published on
Glisch, camera, acziun! The first professional feature film in Romansh has been picked up by an American distributor.
The report also recommends making available German language education from pre-school to secondary levels – and the adoption of cantonal and/or local legislation on the use of German – for those municipalities where German is a non-official minority or majority language.
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages entered into force in Switzerland in 1998 and applies to Italian and Romansh as less widely used official languages. Furthermore, it applies to French and German in territories where they are traditional minority languages, as well as to Yenish as a non-territorial language.
This eighth evaluation report by the Committee of Experts is based on the political and legal situation prevailing at the time of the Committee of Experts’ on-the-spot visit to Switzerland in May 2022.
More
More
English as a common language in Switzerland: a positive or a problem?
This content was published on
It’s not unusual to hear Swiss people from different parts of the country chatting away in English. But what does it mean for national identity?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fribourg parliament approved a sum of CHF6.4 million to renovate the ramparts, the walkway and the towers, as well as to replace the exterior lighting.
Swiss rental housing listings increase for the first time in three years
This content was published on
For the first time in three years, the number of advertisements for rental accommodation is on the rise, but this does not dampen demand, quite the contrary. In Ticino, the average duration of an advertisement published on the main portals is 30 days.
Switzerland doing relatively well when it comes to child vaccination rates
This content was published on
Progress in child immunisation has stalled. For decades, the number of children vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases has risen. But since 2010, vaccination rates have stagnated in many countries, according to a study.
This content was published on
Human remains were found and recovered on Tuesday as part of a search operation in the buried Valais mountain village of Blatten. Formal identification is underway, according to the Valais cantonal police.
Switzerland and the EU sign declaration on transitional arrangements
This content was published on
They set out the terms of cooperation for the period until the desired entry into force of the package of bilateral agreements.
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
This content was published on
Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
This content was published on
Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
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
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.
Jura dialect recognized as minority language in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Swiss government has decided to recognize the dialect of the Jura region as a minority language in Switzerland, which could help preserve it.
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.