The Fourth Minority and Ticinocentrismo

3 May 2019

Switzerland is a quadrilingual country (Italian, German, French and Romansh) with three minorities: French-, Italian- and Romansh-speaking citizens. The vast majority are German-speaking, and the principle at the federal level remains the mastery of the German language. However, there is another minority, the fourth minority. These are the Italian-speaking people in the canton of Grisons. … Read more » “The Fourth Minority and Ticinocentrismo”

The Model of Biel

24 April 2019

The city of Biel/Bienne is a bilingual city. French and German have the same status. A study on bilingualism in Biel/Bienne and Freiburg/Fribourg praised the coexistence of the two languages as exemplary. The report described Biel/Bienne as more than just a “miniature Switzerland”. The city is praised as a role model for the country. The language … Read more » “The Model of Biel”

The Alpine Convention

8 March 2019

The formation of political unities in Europe can be described as a process of concentration. At the beginning of early modern times, around 1500, there were about two hundred independent states on the continent, shortly before 1900, there were only thirty. The increasing size of state territories is reflected in their declining numbers. In the … Read more » “The Alpine Convention”