Swiss president extols virtues of federalism

Swiss President Kaspar Villiger believes the federalist system is the way forward Keystone Archive

The Swiss president Kaspar Villiger has opened an international conference on federalism with a strong endorsement of the advantages of the federal system.

Villiger told the 500 delegates from some 60 countries assembled in the Swiss city of St Gallen that federalism should serve as model for Europe and the rest of the world.

The system which allows ethnic and cultural groups a meaningful place in the political process has played a key role in making Switzerland what it is today, he said.

The conference is a joint project between the Swiss Confederation and the cantonal governments. Both see Switzerland – one of the oldest federal states in the world – as an ideal place for an international forum on such a topic.

The Swiss president told world leaders and intellectuals that, were it not for federalism, Switzerland, which has no single language or culture, would not be the united state it is today.

He added that citizens with “secure political and economic rights” – conferred by the federal system – felt far “less threatened by changes being wrought by globalisation”.

In his opening address, Villiger acknowledged that the Swiss model of federalism could not be exported intact, and should rather be seen as a “an interesting example”.

Challenges

Over the next three days, politicians, technocrats and business people are discussing how federal systems should respond to new problems and challenges.

Among the political heavyweights attending the conference are the Canadian prime minister, Jean Chrétien, the Yugoslav president, Vojislav Kostunica, the German president, Johannes Rau and India’s defence minister, George Fernandes.

Switzerland will be represented by four cabinet members including Villiger.

Conflict resolution

Delegates will discuss how to resolve conflicts in multicultural societies given that individual rights and minority protections are seldom effective without adequate political representation.

Another major topic – foreign policy – will focus on how decision making is moving away from national (and federal) frameworks into international organisations.

A key issue will be whether and how supranational organisations can become more like federal states themselves, with all members playing a role in the decision-making process.

Fiscal and tax issues are also on the agenda, in particular the growing clamour of communities in federal states to be given more freedom to collect and spend their own tax revenues.

Systems like Switzerland, where cantons and communities levy and spend the lion’s share of taxes, will be compared with those of other federal states, where the central government keeps tight control of public revenues.

New models

Organisers say they hope that the conference will help to develop new models of federalism taking into account worldwide change and issues such as ethnic conflicts.

There is also a special youth programme for younger delegates attending the conference. Around 50 young people – aged between 20 and 30 – are due to take part in the programme, which will analyse the role of federalism in society.

This year’s event follows on from the first International Conference on Federalism, which took place in Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, in October 1999.

Switzerland has been a federal state since 1848 and is widely regarded to have successfully combined linguistic, cultural and religious diversity.

swissinfo

Key facts

500 delegates expected to attend the conference.
The event is a joint project between the Swiss federal government and the cantonal governments.
Topics under discussion include: foreign relations, decentralisation, conflict management and tax issues.
Events include a Youth Programme for younger delegates.