Swiss Way Research Articles

The Ambiguities of Assisted Suicide in Switzerland

This article aims to highlight the particularity of assisted suicide in Switzerland. Compared with other contemporary forms of dying around the world, which are mainly medicalized, the implementation of assisted suicide in Switzerland is carried out by volunteer associations. The political culture pertaining to assisted suicide reflects the reluctance of medicine to recognize the practice. But its legitimacy is not only a question of justice and rights. It is based on a process of social recognition, advanced by a citizen’s movement, and debated in the public sphere. Through the history of one particular francophone association for the right to die with dignity, the article examines the Swiss way of regulating this manner of dying.

Integrated Care in Switzerland: Strengths and Weaknesses of a Federal System.

Introduction:Switzerland’s fragmented healthcare system mirrors its federal structure and mix of cultures and languages. Although the Swiss have a higher life expectancy than most of their neighbours, their healthcare system faces similar challenges that call for more integrated care (IC).Aim/Method:This article aims to provide insight into the specificities of and latest developments in Switzerland’s healthcare system and how they may have influenced the development and implementation of IC there.Description/Discussion:The number of local IC initiatives has been growing steadily for 20 years. With a certain lag, various policies supporting IC have been established. Among them, a recent democratic debate on the federal mandatory health insurance law could either induce a radical move towards centralised support for IC or continue to support scattered local IC initiatives.Conclusion:In the future, Switzerland’s healthcare system will probably navigate between local IC initiatives and centralised, federal support for IC initiatives. This will be the reflection of a very Swiss way forward in a world without clear evidence on whether centralised or decentralised initiatives are more successful at developing IC.

A bear and a clockmaker: on origins of “Russian bear” stereotype in Switzerland in the second half of the 19th century

The article analyses the specific attitudes of the ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor in the German-language Swiss press in the second half of the 19th century: in the all- European context as well as in the context of its role in building the Swiss national identity. The author has proven that there exists a connection between the Swiss image of Russia and the ‘colonial discourse’ (described by Edward Said) in that period. The article indicates the great role of the ‘bear’ metaphor within the key binary oppositions, distinctive for that discourse: West – East, culture – nature, civilization – barbarity, democracy – despotism. It analyses as well the typical Swiss way of perceiving Russia – through the prism of the ethical discourse, which had enabled the 19th century Helvetians to play the role of ‘Europe’s conscience.’ The author indicates that – while using the ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor – the 19th century Swiss press used to categorize Russia as an antithesis of the countries that personified the main attributes of the culture of the West. While making oppositions between the Russianness and the Germanness the Swiss press was building such oppositions as: order – chaos, creation – destruction, reason – irrationality, self-control – irritability. The ‘Russian Bear’ as a partner of the French Marianne used to personify an antithesis of the French refinement. The ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor compared with the symbol of Helvetia used to serve to build oppositions between the liberal, wealthy, democratic Switzerland and Russia, which was perceived as a severe ‘Eastern despothy’. The paper was originally published as Niedźwiedź i zegarmistrz. U źródeł stereotypu „rosyjskiego niedźwiedzia” w Szwajcarii w drugiej połowie XIX w., “Klio” 2012, vol. 20 (1),pp. 171–200, DOI: 10.12775/KLIO.2012.006.

The business of densification: distribution of power, wealth and inequality in Swiss policy making

In Switzerland, the fight against uncontrolled urban sprawl and the protection of agricultural land have a long tradition. To reconcile these concerns, the Swiss voting majority agreed to introduce densification as a legally binding policy objective in 2013. Simultaneously, however, densification processes have started to threaten the housing situation of low- and middle-income tenants due to higher rents following redevelopment. In this article, we argue that the Swiss way of implementing densification is characterised by a systematic bypassing of tenants’ needs for social sustainability in housing due to the current political priorities of the Swiss federal government. Using an institutionalist analysis approach and a qualitative case-study methodology, we analyse the institutional mechanisms and the actors’ rationale behind this emerging business of densification. Finally, we discuss the role of the nation state in the provision of the ‘right to housing’ for all income segments and its consequences for the country’s long-term sustainability performance.

Das Geheimnis des Schweizer Sprachenfriedens, nachahmbar oder singulär?

Switzerland is no multinational or polyethnic, but a multilingual, polyglot country, in which four autochthonous languages are recognised as national or state languages. The language difference has never been seriously politicised by being organised along ethnic or national lines. Due to the high degree of politicisation and nationalisation of the language groups that began during the 19th century in most other states, it is not possible to emulate the Swiss way of organising peace between the linguistic groups. Large multi-ethnic states require a privileged language as the <italic>lingua franca</italic> for the state as a whole. However, elements of the linguistic peace in Switzerland can be adopted by a cooperative nationalities policy: the federalisation of historic areas and not of language territories, a high degree of municipal autonomy, and the recognition of all autochthonous languages as being equal.

The Effect of European Integration on Swiss Energy Policy and Governance

The unique “Swiss way” of association with the European Union (EU) has received increasing attention in light of recent events such as Brexit as it is based on sectoral agreements without an overarching institutional framework. As such, Europeanization of Swiss domestic policy does not follow a straightforward process. We examine the external governance processes that drive the Europeanization of Swiss energy policy. Switzerland and the EU are highly interdependent in energy due to Switzerland’s geographical position but there is a relatively low level of policy alignment, as there is no formal EU-Swiss energy agreement nor has Switzerland autonomously implemented legislation equivalent to the EU energy acquis. The EU has fully liberalized the energy market and is focusing on consumer empowerment and decarbonization through the Clean Energy Package, whereas the Swiss energy sector remains only partially liberalized. Through a series of expert interviews with key stakeholders, we reconstruct the historical developments in Swiss energy policy, focusing on the relationship with, and the influence of the EU. We observe elements of each of the three ideal modes of governance—markets, hierarchies, and networks. The relative importance of these modes of coordination in governing EU-Swiss energy relations has shifted considerably over time. Gradual harmonization of EU energy markets and certain key events have driven Swiss exclusion from EU network governance processes, leading to more hierarchy. We identify the strengths and weaknesses of each mode of governance for EU-Swiss energy relations in their historical setting and discuss the implications for energy policy in Switzerland in the context of the Clean Energy Package and EU external relations in general.

Swiss Public Administration. Making the State Work Successfully. Ladner, Andreas, Soguel, Nils, Emery, Yves, Weerts, Sophie and StéphaneNahrath (eds) Cham, Palgrave Macmillan (2019), 384 p., ISBN 978‐3‐319‐92380‐2

Swiss Public Administration. Making the State Work Successfully. Ladner, Andreas, Soguel, Nils, Emery, Yves, Weerts, Sophie and StéphaneNahrath (eds) Cham, Palgrave Macmillan (2019), 384 p., ISBN 978‐3‐319‐92380‐2

From Cardiac Rehabilitation to Ambulatory Preventive Care: The Swiss Way

Over the last years, cardiac rehabilitation services have expanded their indication to include not just patients after myocardial infarction or surgery, but also a variety of non-acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) states like stable coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, neurovascular disease as well as asymptomatic patients with no history of CVD but with a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors, especially metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus. In 2015, 110 ambulatory cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation programs existed in Switzerland: 57 for cardiac, 17 for peripheral artery disease and 36 for diabetes rehabilitation. Rehabilitative and preventive care is provided by a team of professionals including preventive cardiologists, exercise experts (physiotherapists and sports scientists), nurses, dieticians, psychologists, occupational therapists and social services experts. It seems reasonable to combine professional efforts by integrating prevention and rehabilitation for all high risk patients. The creation of cardiovascular prevention centers, which bring together professionals and patients in dedicated hospital or community settings is a promising first step. In 2015, 7 centers have been recognized as specialized cardiovascular prevention centers in Switzerland. Furthermore, community-based and patient-centered activities and programs have a great potential to contribute to improved preventive care and to support long-term adherence. A closer cooperation between professional preventive teams in prevention centers and the primary care physicians has a great potential to contribute to close this gap and to provide seamless primary and secondary preventive care for patients in need and the society.

Niedźwiedź i zegarmistrz. U źródeł stereotypu „rosyjskiego niedźwiedzia” w Szwajcarii w drugiej połowie XIX w.

The article analyzes the specific attitudes of the ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor in the German-language Swiss press in the second half of the 19th century: in the all- European context as well as in the context of its role in building the Swiss national identity. The author has proven that there exists a connection between the Swiss image of Russia and the ‘colonial discourse’ (described by Edward Said) in that period. The article indicates the great role of the ‘bear’ metaphor within the key binar oppositions, distinctive for that discourse: West – East, culture – nature, civilization – barbarity, democracy – despotism. It analyzes as well the typical Swiss way of perceiving Russia – through the prism of the ethical discourse, which had enabled the 19th century Helvetians to play the role of the ‘Europe’s conscience.’ The author indicates that – while using the ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor – the 19th century Swiss press used to cathegorize Russia as an antithesis of the countries that personified the main attributes of the West culture. While making oppositions between the Russianness and the Germanness the Swiss press was building such oppositions as: order – chaos, creation – destruction, reason – irrationality, selfcontrol – irritability. The ‘Russian Bear’ as a partner of the French Marianne used to personify an antithesis of the French refinement. The ‘Russian Bear’ metaphor compared with the symbol of Helvetia used to serve to build oppositions between the liberal, wealthy, democratic Switzerland and Russia which was perceived as a severe ‘Eastern despothy’.

Continuing the Legacy—A Report from Zürich, April 2009

The charismatic authority of C. G. Jung has naturally evolved over the years since his death, and there is now a worldwide network of associations and training institutes with carefully defined rules and regulations. In Zürich alone, three training institutes have now been established. Another Swiss way to ensure the continuation of Jung’s legacy is to set up Stiftungen, charitable foundations which ensure preservation in perpetuity. The most recent of these is the foundation set up by Emmanuel Kennedy to preserve the legacy of two of Jung’s most prominent colleagues, Marie-Louise von Franz and Barbara Hannah. The foundation was legally incorporated in February 2009, and plans are underway to establish a permanent museum to house the vast collection of drawings, texts, photographs, paintings, and memorabilia of all kinds that Emmanuel Kennedy inherited from Marie-Louise von Franz and Barbara Hannah.

From psychoanalysis to epidemiology: autobiographical notes

From psychoanalysis to epidemiology: autobiographical notes

Introduction to the Swiss Way of Teaching Veterinary Pathology in the Twenty-First Century: Application of e-Learning Modules

The teaching of pathology within the veterinary medical curriculum extends through the entire training period and has a dual role. General pathology deals with principles of disease processes as a basis for understanding the reactions of a multi-cellular organism to adverse effects; organ pathology builds on the principles of general pathology and explains the malfunctions of individual organs. Pathology is heavily image dependent and best taught in a highly interactive manner. The Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich (IVPZ), has been actively developing concepts for teaching pathology in the new veterinary curriculum, which demands more active participation from students, with 20% of their study time devoted to individual study using traditional materials (books, articles, etc.) and e-learning modules. The Swiss Virtual Animal Pathologist is designed to cover and support the central elements of the Veterinary Pathology curriculum of the Vetsuisse Faculty. The needs of students and staff of the participating institutions for an interactive learning platform to supplement the existing face-to-face lectures and tutorials are the highest priority of this initiative.

The Protection of Privacy between a Rights-Based and a Freedom-Based Approach: What the Swiss Example Can Teach us

There has been a fierce debate amongst scholars about the way privacy ought to be protected in civil law countries. The key issue at stake is the question whether this protection should be implemented via so-called ‘personality rights’ (i.e. a special category of subjective rights) or whether it would be more appropriate to conceive privacy in terms of fundamental freedoms. It goes without saying that this choice entails important practical and theoretical consequences. In this article, I will first try to summary the different viewpoints, indicating each time the pros and contras. Then, I will deal with the Swiss way of privacy protection, for I believe that it shows clearly that the sketched ‘doctrinal’ opposition should not be overestimated and that it should be possible to conciliate the two approaches to privacy.

Doing it the Swiss Way

SummaryDoing it theSwiss WayIn the mid‐nineties, Switzerland changed from a high‐price support policy to a policy‐concept that was designed to guarantee a multifunctional agriculture. This change was brought about by some plebiscites in which people first voted against simply switching to direct payments not bound to environmental quality and then decided in favour of a direct payment system with a strong emphasis on environmental quality. Farmers now receive most direct payments if they comply with certain minimum environmental standards, and additional payments for additional improvements to ecological quality as defined at the national level. New regulations that enable the support of regional networks which deliver particularly high ecological quality are of particular interest. At the same time, the importance of market support is decreasing rapidly. The experience with this system can be evaluated according to how structural change in agriculture is buffered, how the ecological quality of Swiss landscapes is maintained or enhanced and the effectiveness of the individual programmes. All three yardsticks lead to fairly positive results. This suggests that a rational agricultural policy approach does not necessarily mean liberalisation. A multifunctional concept of agriculture may allow substantial intervention by the state. Faitesle à la SuisseDans le courant des années 90, la politique agricole Suisse est passée ?un soutien fondé sur des prix élevés à un système destinéà assurer ľexistence ?une agriculture multifonctionnelle. Ce changement est la conséquence ?une série de votes‐référendum dans lesquels les électeurs ?abord repoussèrent ľidée de paiements directs sans lien avec ľenvironnement puis, ensuite, adoptèrent un système de paiements directs mettant ľaccent sur la qualité de ľenvironnement. A ľheure actuelle, pour recevoir la plus grande partie de leurs paiements directs, les agriculteurs doivent respecter certains standards environnementaux minimums. Ils ont droit à des paiements supplémentaires s'ils améliorent la qualité ecologique de leur environnement, telle qu'elle est définie au niveau national. Un intérêt spécial s'attache aux nouveaux règlements qui permettent de soutenir des réseaux régionaux susceptibles de conduire à une qualitéécologique particulière. En même temps, le volume des soutiens directs aux marchés est en baisse rapide. Pour évaluer ce système, il faut examiner comment les changements structures en agriculture sont amortis, si la qualité des paysages suisses est maintenue ou améliorée, et si les programmes individuels sont efficaces. Chacun de ces critères conduit à une appréciation positive, ce qui montre qu'une approche rationnelle de la politique agricole n'est pas forcément synonyme de libéralisation. Le caractère multifonctionnel de ľagriculture peut justifier une assez large intervention de ľEtat. Aufschweizerische Art.Mitte der 1990er Jahre veränderte die Schweiz ihre Politik der Hochpreisstützung hin zu einer Politik, die eine multifunktionale Landwirtschaft garantieren sollte. Diese Veränderung wurde durch mehrere Volksentscheide herbeigeführt, im Laufe derer sich das Volk zunächst dagegen entschied, direkte Zahlungen einzuführen, welche nicht an die Qualität der Umwelt gebunden sind; später jedoch entschied sich das Volk für direkte Zahlungen mit starker Berücksichtigung der Umweltqualität. In den meisten Fällen erhalten die Landwirte nun direkte Zahlungen, wenn sie bestimmte Mindeststandards im Hinblick auf die Umwelt erfüllen, und zusätzliche Zahlungen, wenn sie zusätzlich zur auf nationaler Ebene festgelegten ökologischen Qualität beitragen. Neue Bestimmungen, welche die Unterstützung von regionalen Netzwerken ermöglichen, welche eine besonders hohe ökologische Qualität hervorbringen, sind von besonderem Interesse. Zugleich nimmt die Bedeutung von marktstützenden Maβnahmen rapide ab. Die Erfahrungen mit diesem System können danach bewertet werden, wie der Strukturwandel in der Landwirtschaft abgefedert wird, wie die ökologische Qualität der schweizerischen Landschaft aufrecht erhalten oder verbessert wird, sowie anhand der Wirksamkeit der einzelnen Programme. Alle drei Maβstäbe führen zu recht positiven Ergebnissen. Dies legt nahe, dass ein rationaler Ansatz für die Agrarpolitik nicht notwendigerweise eine Liberalisierung bedeutet. Ein multifunktionales Verständnis von Landwirtschaft könnte eine beträchtliche staatliche Intervention zulassen.

The fight against money laundering ‐ the Swiss way

Examines the Swiss campaign against money laundering, especially: anti‐money laundering rules for non‐bank and non‐insurance financial institutions, the mix of direct and indirect supervision that has been enacted, and relevant new due diligence requirements, in particular those related to beneficial owner identification. Details how the self‐regulation organisations (SROs) operate; there are over 6,500 financial institutions in the non‐banking non‐insurance sector, and most of them have become members of one of the 12 SROs, the remainder being directly supervised by the Money Laundering Control Authority, and there is audit by private companies. Explains the due diligence process: identification of the counterparty, clarifying the background of unusual transactions, record‐keeping, suspicious transaction reporting, identification of the ultimate beneficial owner, and application of the new rules to all existing customers.

Language‐based earnings differentials on the Swiss labour market: is Italian a liability?

This paper examines wage rate differentials that set off speakers of Italian (Switzerland’s third national language community) from the rest of the population. Although second language skills are used here as control variables, the focus is on agents’ first language, which can be interpreted as a proxy for ethnicity. This paper uses a unique data set, and to our knowledge, is the first paper, to address the issue of language‐based inequality in Switzerland. Our chief aim is to provide an overview and to identify priorities for further research. The methodology is accordingly kept simple. After presenting general information on Switzerland′s Italian‐speaking community, we discuss the conceptual and methodological issues involved in the identification and operationalization of the data necessary to assess its relative socio‐economic status. Results show that outside the predominantly Italian‐language region of Tessin, male speakers of Italian are at a significant disadvantage on the labour market, even after controlling for the effect of other determinants of earnings, including competence in Switzerland’s other national languages. Therefore, the Swiss way of dealing with linguistic diversity, which relies on the territoriality principle (i.e., a one‐to‐one correspondence between language and territory, making for fairly homogeneous language regions), is not just an institutional arrangement; it also appears to be backed up by labour market outcomes, because interregional mobility may carry a significant cost.

Response by Ralph Segalman to Isidore Walliman's review of The Swiss Way of Welfare which appeared in Volume XV, Number 2 (June, 1988)

Response by Ralph Segalman to Isidore Walliman's review of The Swiss Way of Welfare which appeared in Volume XV, Number 2 (June, 1988)

The Swiss Way of Welfare: Lessons for the Western World

This book presents the basic premises of Swiss social policies and indicates how they differ from those of other nations. The Swiss Way of Welfare shows why the Swiss system works in preventing poverty and dependence when systems in other Western nations seem to be troubled.

Turning Swiss: Cities and Empire, 1450-1550

This book examines politics in the free cities of South Germany during the era of the Protestant Reformation, an age of German national awakening. The author's main theme is why Germany, unlike the other large European countries, failed to create a centralised dynastic monarchy during the sixteenth century. Two possible paths of political development faced the oligarchical governments of the autonomous towns: either they could support a strong monarchy based on a partnership between Austria and the free cities under Habsburg leadership, or they could try to form federations of self-governing cities with peasant leagues along Swiss lines. Fear of how a wave of liberation might affect the peasantry, and their own lower classes, inclined the oligarchies away from the 'Swiss way', but the Reformation and the distraction by wars and by other imperial concerns of Emperor Charles V and his brother, Archduke Ferdinand, prevented a partnership developing between the cities and the monarchy. In the end, the region went the 'German way' - of aristocratic particularism that dominated the Germanspeaking world until 1871.

Turning Swiss: Cities and Empire, 1450-1550

This book examines politics in the free cities of South Germany during the era of the Protestant Reformation, an age of German national awakening. The author's main theme is why Germany, unlike the other large European countries, failed to create a centralised dynastic monarchy during the sixteenth century. Two possible paths of political development faced the oligarchical governments of the autonomous towns: either they could support a strong monarchy based on a partnership between Austria and the free cities under Habsburg leadership, or they could try to form federations of self-governing cities with peasant leagues along Swiss lines. Fear of how a wave of liberation might affect the peasantry, and their own lower classes, inclined the oligarchies away from the 'Swiss way', but the Reformation and the distraction by wars and by other imperial concerns of Emperor Charles V and his brother, Archduke Ferdinand, prevented a partnership developing between the cities and the monarchy. In the end, the region went the 'German way' - of aristocratic particularism that dominated the Germanspeaking world until 1871.