Europe at Present [Spring 2003]

SWITZERLAND - SWISS CONFEDERATION

Svizzera - Confederazione Svizzera, Helvetia - Confederazium Svizera.

The main goal of this paper is to present main facts concerning Switzerland. The main emphasis has been put on the issue of federalism.

CHAPTER I. General information

Basic facts

Languages

EN: Hi * DE: Grüezi * FR: Salue * IT: Ciao * RO: Tga

EN: Thanks * DE: Danke * FR: Merci * IT: Grazie * RO: Engraziel

E: I am hungry. * D: Ich bin hungrig. * FR: J'ai faim. * IT: Ho fame. * RO: Jeu hai fom.

E: What time is it ? * D: Wieviel Uhr ist es ? * FR: Quelle heure est-il ? * IT: Che ora è ? * RO: Tgei uras eis ei ?

E: HELP ! * D: HILFE ! * FR: AIDE ! * IT: AIUTO ! * RO: AGID !

E: I love you. * D: Ich liebe Dich. * FR: Je t'aime. * IT: Ti amo. * RO: Jeu carezel tei.

History²⁴⁵

The first inhabitants of the region were a Celtic tribe, the Helvetia. The Romans appeared on the scene in 107 BC by way of the St Bernard Pass, but owing to the difficulty of the terrain their conquest of the area was never decisive. In the 5th century Germanic Allemani started to settle down on the territory of present Switzerland. The territory was united under the Holy Roman Empire in 1032 but central control was never very tight. It was all changed by Rudolph I, the emperor of Habsburg family, who conquested and fully united the territory. After his death in 1291 the local tribes’ leadres saw their chance and announced the Pact of Mutuall Assistance, which now can be described as the beginning of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss struggles against the Habsburgs is idealised in the leghend of Wilhelm Tell. In 1499 they succeeded and gained independence from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. They started to conquer the neighbouring teritorries, but in 1515 they overreached themselves when loosing the battle with French and Venetians. It was when they realised they are no longer the military power, and after renouncing the expansionist policy they declared neutrality.

During the Reformation Switzerland remained neutral, and kept out of Thirty Years' War. When the war ended in 1648, in the Treaty of Westphalia Switrezland was described as a neutral state. Nevertheless, the French Republic invaded Switzerland in 1798 and established the Helvetic Republic. Swiss patiently waited till Napoleon’s defeated at Waterloo, and the Congress of Vienna guaranteed Switzerland's independence and permanent neutrality in 1815.

The Swiss have carefully guarded their neutrality in the 20th century. Their only WW I involvement lay in the organising of Red Cross units. In WW II, however, Switzerland played a more insidious role as money launderer for Nazi Germany. Switzerland's quiet anti-Semitism included shutting its borders to Jewish refugees and forcibly repatriating many of those who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe, precisely knowing what will happen to them. After the end of WW II, Switzerland was afraid that its neutrality would dissapear, and declined to become a member of the United Nations (though it currently has an 'observer' status) or NATO. It did, however, join EFTA. Facing the fact that other EFTA nations applied for EU membership, Switzerland finally made its own application in 1992. As a prelude to full EU membership Switzerland was to join the EEA (European Economic Area), yet the government's strategy wa destroyed by national referendum in December 1992, when most citizens voted “no”. The same “no” was voted for Switzerland's EU application.

The Swiss people as a whole are mainly of Alpine, Nordic, and Slavic or Dinaric descent.

The population of Switzerland is over 7 million people- exactly 7.261.210, 20% of which are foreigners. If you want to estimate the overall number of inhabitants in Switzerland, you should add more than 25.000 seasonal workers, more than 20.000 short-time residents and almost 66.000 asylum seekers. (as for 2001) Source: www.statistik.admin.ch/stat_ch/

Many foreigners- people without Swiss pasport, are actually born in Switzerland, or live there for more than 15 years. They are sometimes called “foreign nationals”. Naturalization- getting the Swiss nationality- isn’t easy at all. One of ways of doing it is to marry a Swiss, have children with him or her, and live there for more than 15 years. In fact Switzerland is getting more and more ”foreign national”- the foreign population is young, with a ratio of only 8 The Federal Insurance Law of 1911 regulates accident and sickness insurance. Accident insurance is compulsory for most officials and employees. Old-age and survivor’s insurance, persons of retirement age to every 100 persons of working age (among Swiss, the figure is 30). Source: www.statistik.admin.ch/stat_ch/

This also has to do with the fact that 27% of children born in Switzerland in 2000 were “foreign nationals”. Births ratio is 10,1 per 1000 inhabitants, and there are 105 boys per 100 girls. What is interesting, 11,4 % ²⁴⁷of all children born are those of unmarried women- Swiss are extremly tolerant to unmarried ( or divorced) mothers.

People marry relatively late; they concentrate on their training and career before they start a family. The majority of couples have only 1 or 2 children.²⁴⁸

Average life expectancy in Switzerland is 77 years for men and 83 years for women (2002). which also includes disability benefits, is compulsory and is financed by a payroll tax on both employers and employees. Unemployment insurance became compulsory under a 1976 law.

The population is unevenly distributed, with the principal concentrations occurring in the Swiss plateau. Approximately 68 per cent of the population is classified as urban, but most live in small towns.

There are enormous regional differences between the Swiss people. Visitors may sense variations in attitude in different areas of Switzerland. Perhaps a bit more relaxed and jovial in the south (Lugano and Locarno), more urbane and volatile in the west (Geneva and Lausanne), more businesslike and officious in the east (Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne), where most banks are located.