Federal Council wants to anchor early French in language law and threatens intervention

Baume-Schneider warns of loss of cohesion

Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (SP) expressed concern in an interview with the "Sonntags-Zeitung" about national cohesion. The recent cantonal decisions had triggered "grosse Irritation" in French-speaking Switzerland, she said. Verbatim: "Manche haben das Gefühl: ‹Wir Romands bemühen uns, während den Deutschschweizern die Landessprachen egal sind.›" The Federal Council does trust that the cantons will resolve the language question themselves. "Aber wir wissen auch, dass der Bund handeln muss, wenn die Kantone das nicht hinbekommen."

The national government thereby also indirectly responded to criticism from the teaching profession. The Swiss Teachers' Network had stated in a communiqué in May that the federal government has no competence to set the timing of foreign language instruction. This was a matter of cantonal educational sovereignty. An expert opinion commissioned by the network supported this position.

Two variants in the consultation

Specifically, the Federal Council proposes two variants. Variant one provides that two foreign languages are taught at primary level, one of which must be a national language. Variant two would give the cantons more flexibility and require that a second national language be taught from primary school until the end of compulsory schooling; a second foreign language, such as English, would be voluntary.

The draft is based on the Harmos Concordat, to which 15 of the 26 cantons belong – including St. Gallen and Zurich. The concordate currently provides that a second national language and English are taught at primary school. However, an EDK study from 2023 had shown that in German-speaking cantons only about half of pupils achieve basic reading competencies in French.

The Federal Council emphasized that it wishes to refrain from amending the language law, provided the cantons continue to pursue their existing language strategy and no longer adopt deviating decisions. Linguistic diversity is a cornerstone of Switzerland: "Die sprachliche Vielfalt ist ein Grundpfeiler der Schweiz. Sie ermöglicht es uns, einander zu verstehen." Multilingualism is "keine Petitesse" and abandoning early French would "die Mehrsprachigkeit unseres Landes infrage."

Outlook on the consultation until October 2026

Interior Minister Baume-Schneider, who hails from the canton of Jura and represents the French-speaking part of the country, also made a pedagogical reference before the media in Bern: "Nur weil Mathematik schwierig ist, gibt man sie nicht auf." One should not simply give up a subject because it seems difficult.

The consultation runs until October 5, 2026. Afterwards, the FDHA will evaluate the submissions received and submit a dispatch to the Federal Council. Observers expect a political showdown between the federal government and the cantons, as several German-speaking cantons have already announced they intend to stick by their decisions. The communiqué states on this matter that the deviation of some cantons "gefährde die Harmonisierung des Unterrichts und den nationalen Zusammenhalt" – thereby increasing the pressure from the federal government on the critics.