Federal language policy and English

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

The Confederation pursues an active policy for its national languages. The Federal Act on National Languages and Understanding between the Linguistic Communities of 2007 obliges the federal authorities to use the official languages, to promote multilingualism in the federal administration and to support exchanges between the language regions.¹ The Act does not mention English as a language of the authorities. The federal administration nonetheless uses English increasingly in its international work, in its communication with foreign investors and in specialised fields such as finance, research and technology. Parliamentarians from the French- and Italian-speaking regions have criticised this trend, fearing that English will displace the national languages as the common language of the Swiss.

The debate touches a sensitive point of Swiss identity. Switzerland defines itself as a nation of several languages whose citizens understand each other through the national languages. If English becomes the language in which a German-speaking Swiss and a French-speaking Swiss communicate, the national model of multilingualism loses part of its meaning. In the international economy of Zug, this has already happened in many offices, where Swiss employees from different language regions work together in English. The canton's experience therefore feeds into a national debate about the role of English in Swiss society.

Notes

Bundesgesetz über die Landessprachen und die Verständigung zwischen den Sprachgemeinschaften (Sprachengesetz, SpG) of 5 October 2007, in force 1 January 2010, SR 441.1, text on lexfind.ch: regulates the four national languages; English is not mentioned in the Act. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

English

Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

Get in touch →

Federal language policy and English

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?