en

Many thanks!

We have received your enquiry and will be in touch as soon as possible.

SwissGlobal Newsletter

Lost in translation? Not with SwissGlobal. Stay up to date with language industry news, tips, interviews and more – subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Politics: why you should work with Swiss translators

Political and institutional translation plays a major role in communication for states and institutions, both national and international. Without it, a multilingual country like Switzerland could not function.

The semi-direct democratic model according to which Switzerland operates is one of a kind. Understanding the fundamentals of the Swiss system is thus crucial to being able to translate texts about politics and all the influences surrounding it.

This is why SwissGlobal’s network of service providers includes Swiss professional translators. We believe that expertise is part and parcel of any translation or language service.

A little history

The growth of political and institutional translation owes a lot to international cooperation. The Translators’ Journal even devoted an issue to the topic: ‘After the Second World War, three phenomena arose that triggered a swell in institutional translation: the foundation of the United Nations in 1945, the creation of the European Economic Community in 1957 and the transition to multilateralism, a system of international relations that favoured the growth of the translation industry. ‘

To understand each other properly, transmitting ideas between groups and States is essential. The European Union has 24 official languages and is thus a major translation client. In its own words, it even lists multilingualism as one of its founding principles.

The role of political and institutional translation in Switzerland

The more communication occurs, the greater the need for translation and the more language services there are to organise. This also applies to internal cooperation within multilingual countries.

With its four language regions, Switzerland has a language policy extending to translation.

Under the Languages Act, the Swiss Confederation must treat all national languages equally and allow people contacting federal authorities to do so in the official language of their choice. The Confederation must then reply in that same official language.

Switzerland devolves much power to its cantons as a federal state. This means that the cantons can set their own language rules, particularly the bilingual cantons of Bern, Fribourg and Valais and the trilingual canton of Graubünden.

Some cities, such as Biel and Fribourg, are also officially bilingual. These cities are not only governed by federal and cantonal provisions – they also have their language policy.

Public bodies need an extensive and well-organised range of language services at a national level, just for their own needs. They also have to be able to communicate internationally and with all the other players within Switzerland, political and otherwise.

Four national languages and three official ones

Switzerland has four language regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh. German, French and Italian are its official languages, and Romansh is a national language. The difference is that the Confederation must publish all official texts in the first three languages but not in the fourth. However, the most important texts, such as certain laws, are typically published in Romansh.

English is not a national language in Switzerland. Nonetheless, to cater to the international community, the Confederation does publish numerous texts (particularly legislation) in English.

The language services of the federal administration: as finely honed as a Swiss knife

The Confederation, which has translated hundreds of thousands of pages of text (270,000 pages in 2017), employs many people in translation, interpreting, terminology and jurilinguistics.

The Confederation’s translation services are handled in a decentralised manner. Each department, the Chancellery and the Parliament, has its team of translators for the official languages. The Chancellery organises English and Romansh.

The Parliament’s translation services work for the Federal Assembly and employ translators and interpreters.

The language services at the Chancellery have a broader range of skills than the other departments. The Chancellery is responsible not only for translating official texts, which it published on TERMDAT, but also for maintaining the administration’s termbase, contributing to the parallel drafting of legislation and defining typographical rules for publications.

The Centre of Expertise for Language Technologies is also connected to the central language services. Its responsibilities include developing technologies for the language services of the whole Confederation and providing technical support with the computer-aided translation tool.

The federal administration’s language services can be considered a giant translation agency, divided into multiple specialities, with each service having its own internal and external resources. External translators are recruited via periodic public calls for tender, sometimes without organising a tender.

The translators working for the Swiss government have ringside seats. The texts they are asked to translate chart trends in politics and laws as and when they are written.

Was a parliamentary intervention filed during the latest session? It will be translated and published in the official languages. Has a draft bill been presented? The competent service will translate everything via all department correspondence, from the first draft to the final version. Has a federal councillor published something on social media from her official account? That gets translated as well!

Knowing how politics operates

In Switzerland, there is a close link between democracy and translation. Texts from certain organisations combine specialised information with a political agenda. One key example of this is umbrella associations,

which have an extensive reach both technically and politically. On the one hand, they are regularly consulted during the legislative process for their position on whether a law should be drafted or revised; on the other hand, they exert a considerable influence, up to and including in Parliament for some associations, via their lobbyists.

So, it is important to understand the role of the people who write texts in Swiss politics. Take SVGW, for example the Association for Water, Gas and District Heating publishes regulations intended for its industry and releases information on news items that concern it. It also organises training programmes for its members.

Then, there is Curaviva, which defends the interests of service providers working with the elderly. It adopts positions on referendums, for example, informs its members and the general public on an extensive range of topics falling within its ambit and provides legal advice.

Political stakeholders like the government, parties, associations, and think tanks work in synergy. Understanding the issues involved and the relations between these stakeholders is crucial.

Why you should work with Swiss translators in Switzerland

Although it is every translator’s role to research the context of their assignments and which vocabulary they should use, a Swiss professional will make certain choices since they encounter Swiss history, culture and political life daily.

For example, how would you explain the concept of the ‘Röstigraben’, the figurative line separating French-speaking from German-speaking Switzerland, with all of the cultural nuances it entails? How would you explain the alignment of the different political parties? Or what about the annual increases in health insurance premiums? Granted, you can look up this information on the internet, but you cannot fully grasp all the connections and subtleties in a few minutes.

French-speaking Switzerland also has its peculiarities when it comes to vocabulary. Statalisms, or terms unique to the region, are a particularly thorny issue. For example, the term ‘votation’ for a referendum is used solely in Switzerland. A French person reading it might be tempted to think it meant ‘election’. In contrast, the true meaning is closer to the concept of a referendum in France, which is completely different from a Swiss referendum.

Thus, You would be safer entrusting a political text to Swiss service providers, who will be familiar with the context and handle your text more effectively.

Make sure it’s made in Switzerland

As you may have gathered, translation and politics are closely linked. Without translation, ideas and information would be unable to circulate. In Switzerland, the State has an important role to play in this regard. Today, teams of experienced translators ensure that political messages are delivered faithfully.

Political and institutional translation involves strategic and diplomatic challenges that must be constantly considered. Any mistranslations or inaccuracies could have serious diplomatic or legal consequences.

Working with Swiss translators will ensure your message gets across and meets local expectations.

Whether you are a Swiss NGO, think tank, political party or association, we can help communicate to ensure your messages will strike home with your audience nationwide.

At SwissGlobal, we know the Swiss system like the back of our hand. Our trained and qualified translators will ensure that your political communication is top-quality.

Do you operate in Switzerland? Get in touch, and let us translate your political content!