ABSTRACT
Involvement with European integration is not, of course, just a matter of identity and symbolism. In fact, it impacts on the domestic evolution of the federal system in complex ways. Hence, the chapter starts, on the one hand, with a concise overview of the origins and essentials of Swiss federalism and, on the other hand, an examination of the multiple issues it is currently facing. Such issues show how federalism, although still a defining feature of the country, is facing severe challenges which threaten its very existence, at least in the form we have traditionally known it. Some of these challenges are clearly exacerbated by the process of Europeanization the country has been exposed to, despite still being outside the EU. In particular, the cantons’ traditional lack of effective access to foreign policy-making introduced an additional centralizing dynamic in the system. However, the chapter shows that the Swiss polity – and the cantons in particular – have reacted by developing various institutions and mechanisms that enable them to effectively cope with these challenges. Thus a degree of institutional adaption lies concealed beneath the symbolic constraints which federalism is perceived as imposing on Swiss European policy.
