Linguistic territoriality in Switzerland
Exploring the roots of a constitutional principle
This article argues that the linguistic territoriality principle cannot be considered as a general guideline for the
design of language policy but rather as a tool to find the right balance between linguistic freedom and linguistic peace under
given circumstances. The article traces the origin and evolution of language policy principles during the drafting process of the
new constitutional article in its three official language versions. The Swiss language regime is embedded in an institutional
system of executive federalism in which mostly monolingual cantons and municipalities are in charge of implementing nearly all
public policy. This significantly reduces the relevance of the inconsistency between a formally personalistic multilingual federal
language regime and linguistic territoriality deriving from cantonal language regimes. The point of the new federal regulation is
to provide room for manoeuvre for cantonal policymakers to adopt legislation based on linguistic territoriality. The relevant
constitutional article recognises that territorial language policies can be implemented to ensure linguistic peace. At the same
time, the personality principle may be adopted to protect autochthonous linguistic minorities.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.The roots of linguistic territoriality
- 3.The Swiss national languages and their challenges
- 3.1The survival of Romansh
- 3.2The ambiguous status of Italian
- 3.3The threatened equality of French
- 3.4German or Swiss-German?
- 3.5Non-territorial national minorities
- 4.The (non-)recognition of the territoriality principle
- 4.1Recognition of Romansh
- 4.2Language communities or language regions?
- 4.3Minority rights at national level
- 4.4Territoriality
- 5.Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
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Burckhardt, Till, John Coakley & László Marácz
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