Switzerland as Model for the European Union

Abstract

[Abstract]: This chapter compares institutional integration in Switzerland and the European Union (EU). The EU aims for deeper political integration and must accommodate far greater diversity in far less time than Switzerland ever did. In Switzerland, integration processes—religious, linguistic, and territorial—occurred gradually and separately over centuries. In contrast, the EU faces simultaneous shocks of diversification and enlargement. The EU’s institutional structure mirrors aspects of Switzerland’s federal formation but remains at a less cohesive stage. Current EU governance, marked by intergovernmental crisis management, resembles the dysfunctional centralism of Swiss cantons before the 1848 federal constitution. Moreover, the EU’s vast diversity creates major asymmetries among member states. Because European identity is weak, citizens and politicians distrust central EU institutions, particularly in crisis-affected countries. Swiss federalism differs fundamentally: municipalities play key roles, fostering a bottom-up, city-centered citizenship anchored in the federal constitution. This guarantees local identity within a national framework. By contrast, EU federalism is state- and institution-focused. European citizenship should therefore strengthen not only the continental level but also local, city-based roots. Finally, while EU citizenship emphasizes mobility of residence, Swiss multiculturalism values rootedness. Switzerland’s model protects linguistic and cultural diversity but discourages internal migration across regions. This contrast highlights a core tension: balancing mobility and identity. For Europe, the concept of a “Europe of cities and commuters” could reconcile freedom of movement with local belonging.