Nenad Stojanović, a professor of political science at the University of Geneva, published a book in June this year entitled "Multilingual Democracy: Switzerland and Beyond". Nenad was born in Sarajevo and has lived in Switzerland for a long time.
Guided by the fact that many experts express different views on the issue of democracy in countries where several languages are spoken, Nenad offered a different explanation on this topic in his book.
"Various intellectuals, from the English philosopher John Stuart Mill in the mid-19th century to the Belgian academic Philippe Van Paris, argue that it is almost impossible to have a sustainable democracy in societies where people speak different languages and belong to different nations. The inspiration for my book grew precisely with the idea that it doesn’t have to be that way. It all depends on the choice of institutions, for example the electoral system, and the specific context (history, geography, culture) of each country. ” - said Stojanović for the i-platform.
Drawing a parallel between Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely the countries of the Balkans and Switzerland, differences and similarities can be established when it comes to multilingualism and democracy.
"The difference is that in many parts of the Balkans, for example in BiH, but not in Kosovo and Macedonia, people speak the same language or very similar languages. The similarity is that society is still divided into ethnic groups that, regardless of the similar language, watch different TV stations, listen to the radio and read newspapers, that is, live separately and not together, and that is something that makes sustainable democracy difficult.” - explains Stojanović.
Switzerland is a country with four official languages, where three of the twenty-six cantons are multilingual. A relatively small country, and one of the most developed countries in the world. We asked Nenad how accurate it is to see Switzerland as a perfect country.
"Switzerland is a country that, despite linguistic differences, has managed to become one of the most stable democracies in the world, thanks to strong centripetal institutions, such as direct democracy."
One commentary on the book “Multilingual Democracy: Switzerland and Beyond” says: "Where lies the secret of the success of Switzerland’s multilingual democracy? Not in the way in which it applies the consociational model, but in the way in which it deviates from it. In this illuminating book, Nenad Stojanović uses his thorough knowledge of the fine grain of Swiss institutions, his sharp understanding of the mechanisms at work and his first-hand acquaintance with similar challenges elsewhere in order to establish this unorthodox claim — and in order to draw lessons that can be of great value in many other places in Europe and in the world." - Philippe Van Parijs, University of Louvain.
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