ABSTRACT
For almost a century ideological differences between the French-and the Germanspeaking populations in Switzerland (Figure 14.1) are themselves a theme of public political communication. Since the 1970s this discourse is framed by the metaphor of the Rôstigraben (roasted potato gap). During the 1990s this term was used in an almost inflationary way, particularly in the aftermath of a series of important national plebiscites. Switzerland had to adapt to a changing international context and to redefine its national identity. Although more recent plebiscites are not really suitable to raise concerns about national cohesion, in public discourse the question of whether a Rôstigraben separates the minds of eastern and western Switzerland is already established as a standard for interpreting voting results.
