LES CONCEPTIONS  DE L’ETAT SUISSE ET DE L’ETAT ROUMAIN SUR LA PROTECTION DES MINORITES NATIONALES - UNE PERSPECTIVE ROUMAINE[1] -

Mihaela Roxana Prisacariu[2]

p. 141 - 150

Abstract

The study makes a comparative analysis on the Swiss and Romanian system of protection of national minorities. It highlights the conceptual differences between the two approaches, still remaining in the framework of the European conventions on the matter.

If Romania prefers to use the notions of national or ethnic to address its minorities, Switzerland has chosen the concept of linguistic and cultural minorities as more appropriate with its history and political tradition.

Switzerland designed a system of minorities’ protection in several layers, focused on the protection of historical French, Italian, Romanch and German minorities, while Romania created an uniform system of protection, equal for all its minorities.

Title: The Views of the Swiss State and of the Romanian State on the Protection of National Minorities: A Romanian Perspective

Keywords: national or cultural, linguistic minority, Switzerland, Romania, concepts.

[1] This article represents the first part of a study realized within the framework of a stage at the Chancellerie d’Etat of the Bern canton, in collaboration with the Institut de Fédéralisme (Fribourg) and the Forum des Fédérations (Ottawa), 12 September - 21 October 2011, with the active cooperation of the Chancellerie d’Etat of the Bern canton, especially of the “Service des relations extérieures”, for whose support I am extremely grateful.

[2] Mihaela Roxana Prisacariu, Ph.D., is a Lecturer at “Mihail Kogălniceanu” University, Iaşi, Romania; contact : rprisacariu.at.yahoo.com

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