Is Switzerland a Model for Europe?

DW-WORLD: The EU constitution is on the back burner, the financial dispute continues to rage, and whether Tony Blair can solve the crisis in his guise as the next president of the European Council remains very much to be seen. Does Europe have a future?

Adolf Muschg: What we get from Europe is the experience of the boundaries of national politics. The current problems are bigger than the chances of any political government to resolve them.

Europe is not the only answer to globalization, but it is one which can be used to restrict the problems and seen as a means of learning to behave in a cooperative way. Learning from each other has to be a top cross-border priority in Europe. We have an amazing selection of national traditions which can be tested for collective application on a larger scale.

So does that mean that Europe is not having a general crisis of meaning and structure, but has simply arrived at a crossroads?

Yes, and that is why I like to call it a cultural project. Europe cannot be defined in economic terms; that is in fact part of the problem it claims to address. When it comes to defining Europe as a historical body, we have to proceed differently. What I mean is that what we call "culture," has to be recognized as a root again.

Switzerland is often held up as a model of somehwhere that different cultures, languages and religions can peacefully co-exist. What should Europe learn from Switzerland?

I certainly wouldn't suggest using Switzerland as a model for Europe. A closer look at Switzerland reveals a less dazzling picture. The coherence was much greater during the two world wars, when Switzerland stood with its back to the rest of the world, trying to keep that back free.

The principle of almost automatically granting minorities a greater presence in representative bodies or giving communities much greater autonomy than they enjoy in Germany, make for domestic competition. And there's not even much need for patriotism.

Should the politicians let "the people" have their say? And why is Switzerland so popular in Europe without even being in the EU? Continue reading here.

Do you think Europe is too far away from the people, too undemocratic?

In a media society the so-called "will of the people" is ratings-related and easily driven. In Germany there is a big fear of bringing anything to the people. I'm torn, but I think that a representative democracy which offers sufficient alternatives for a large country is better than a popular democracy.

Does that mean that Europe should do without referendums?

There should also be scope for referenda, but I fear if people everywhere were given the chance to vote on the constitution, the majority would vote "no." These days we don't really live in a demo-cracy, but a demo-scopy, in which pollsters tell politicians what they should be focusing on. Luckily the politicians in Switzerland are less media addicted than those in larger countries. The fact that Switzerland is so small helps.

Does Switzerland need Europe and vice versa?

They have needed each other for a long time. The freedom of movement which Switzerland believes itself to have -- such as being able to steer its orientation towards the US and China without being bound by EU regulations -- is testimony to Swiss smartness. And the EU countries suggest that Switzerland do that. They are always grateful to have Switzerland as a "free" port for their business. Neutrality is a good business principle.

But at some point Switzerland will have to jump over its own shadow and say: "We have to do something for this Europe, which offers us so much." At the moment, the thought is still a long way away, but Switzerland is not alone in that.