Study Visit to Switzerland Day 4

As the study visit to Switzerland comes to a close, we turn our focus to the communal level—an essential pillar of the Swiss political system.

On the fourth day of the visit, we had the privilege of visiting the Commune of Gruyère, in the Canton of Fribourg, where we were warmly welcomed by the executive branch of the municipality. The visit provided valuable insights into the role of communes as the third level of government, exemplifying the principle of subsidiarity—a defining feature of the Swiss system that ensures decisions are made as closely as possible to the people they affect.

Understanding the structure and functions of Swiss communes highlighted the importance of local governance in a federal system, where responsibilities are distributed in a way that fosters both autonomy and cooperation. As with every aspect of Swiss governance, the communal level reflects a careful balance between independence and coordination within a broader political framework.

This day reinforced a key takeaway of the study visit: while every system is shaped by its own history and context, the Swiss model offers valuable lessons on governance, decentralization, and consensus-building.

The study visit is organised under the context of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum and attended by political actors from both communities. The study visit is co-funded by the European Union and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.