I spent the last nine years in Switzerland, and it is a significant amount of time. After such a period, the place becomes a part of you. I learned a lot, built new connections, experienced adventures, and became somewhat of a different person. Now that I am back home since October 1st, 2024, I thought it was the right time to summarize this chapter with resilience in focus.
The Power of Moving Around
There is so much truth in the saying "travel educates", but the quote below - from Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chief Executive Officer of Nestle SA - goes even further:
“Frankly speaking, I cannot imagine a top manager at Nestle who has not lived in several countries and who does not speak at least two or three languages.”
This quote emphasizes the value of experience, which you can only gain if you really immerse yourself in the culture by living in that place. I echo this observation after the time I spent in Switzerland.
Below are my key observations on Switzerland, which are, in my opinion, very relevant to the concept of resilience.
Who is the President of Switzerland?
When I came to Switzerland, I was very surprised by the absence of top politicians in the news. Most discussions are centered around local communities and local matters. Big politics, so beloved by my Polish countrymen, are not really a thing. If you ask who is currently the president, many people wouldn't know or care about it.
The country works very well without celebrity-type leaders; it is functioning proof that strong communities are more powerful than strong leaders. The referendum system is geared towards community-based governance, where the federal government serves rather than rules those communities. The resilient implication is the power of diversity—every canton, city, and village tests their own ideas while watching and learning from others. A mistake made by one does not shake the whole country but provides a great source of learning.
This emphasis on local matters over national politics not only shapes the political landscape but also influences how rules are created and enforced within Swiss society.
Who Makes Those Rules?
Swiss police are very approachable. Zugersee during the weekend is full of kids drinking and smoking; police walk among them, smile, talk, and do not disrupt the joyful mood. I was shocked at the beginning by this style of policing, but it comes from the deep conviction that rules are made for communities, which makes regulations pragmatic and focused on avoiding unnecessary restrictions.
This is a unique mixture—a highly regulated environment yet happily complied with by the citizens. I think this compliance comes from the roots of how regulations are made—not enforced by central authorities but created locally by the communities themselves. Deep ownership, as a result of these principles, creates a more resilient society.
Such a community-centric approach to governance naturally extends to individual behaviors and responsibilities, particularly when it comes to public safety and personal accountability.
Who is Responsible?
Switzerland ranks very high in road safety statistics. I noticed something very different compared to some other countries. Pedestrians wait for cars to stop; they wave their hands, make eye contact with drivers. You rarely see people stepping onto a crosswalk while distracted by their phones.
I started to enjoy this ritual of safety—I watch you, you watch me—we are both safe. It does not help when a driver is sentenced for killing a pedestrian—the pedestrian does not know it; they are already gone.
This shared sense of responsibility is also evident in the way the Swiss communicate with one another, especially in providing and receiving feedback.
Should I Tell You - 'You Are the Best'?
I have not heard anyone giving this harmful, non-resilient compliment here. People are kind but straight to the point and very direct with critical feedback. At the beginning, you might feel that nobody likes you, checking every step you take and eager to let you know when you did something wrong. Later you realize that it is not targeted at you as a foreigner; it is just the way they are. It reminds me that critical feedback is the foundation of any resilient system; to move forward, you have to know what to correct.
This culture of directness and commitment to improvement raises the question of how these attitudes influence the Swiss work ethic and overall productivity.
Are the Rich Complacent?
According to Eurostat, the Swiss, with 43.2 hours worked per full-time employee, are working much more than the EU average of 39 hours.
With a total of 14 weeks partially paid maternity leave and 2 weeks paternity leave, it is also one of the least generous countries in Europe in this regard.
One could argue that maybe they could enjoy life a bit more, but resilience is built by relentlessly testing your boundaries. Consistent hard work is a powerful means to build resilience.
While these practices contribute to Switzerland's resilience, it's important to consider whether such solutions can be effectively applied in larger or less stable societies.
Are Swiss solutions scalable?
Some of them absolutely are; you can be a responsible pedestrian, give and receive critical feedback, or work harder, independent of where you live.
Community-based governance, or direct democracy, is, however, more tricky. It tends to be very slow and indecisive. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, out of 231 popular initiatives, only 11% were accepted in referendums since 1848.
A stark example of this pace is the voting rights for women. Switzerland was the last country in Europe, and one of the last in the entire world, to implement it. At the federal level, it happened in 1971, and at the cantonal level, it was finalized in 1991, only because Appenzell Innerrhoden was forced to accept women's suffrage by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
I think that this approach can work at a relatively small scale in a very stable environment.
With a population of 8.9 million people, Switzerland is just behind Kuala Lumpur, which ranks as the 48th biggest city in the world. It is therefore relatively small; scaling this model up to large countries could slow processes to the extent of creating complete paralysis.
However, some aspects of the Swiss model have indeed been adopted or considered by other nations, suggesting that elements of their system can be scaled or adapted. For example, several countries have implemented forms of direct democracy at local or regional levels. Participatory budgeting has been adopted in cities around the world, including Paris and New York City. The principle of subsidiarity, which is central to Swiss governance, has been adopted by the European Union, emphasizing decision-making at the most local level possible.
Scaling these solutions does come however with challenges. In larger populations, scaling these solutions can lead to increased complexity and slower decision-making processes. Diverse societies may face difficulties in reaching consensus, and there's a risk of decision paralysis. To mitigate these issues, larger countries might adopt a hybrid governance model that combines representative democracy with elements of direct participation at local levels.
The famous neutrality of Switzerland creates stability and is desired by many other places, which, however, too often do not have the comfort to stay neutral. I am sure Ukraine would love to claim neutrality but was deprived of this opportunity. Stability is a comfort dependent on external circumstances and cannot be taken for granted. When a country faces an unstable environment, slow community-based governance can be inefficient.
On the other hand, in unstable environments, implementing Swiss-style governance may be more challenging but not impossible. Decentralizing power can enhance resilience by allowing local communities to respond swiftly to issues without waiting for central government intervention. This can be particularly effective in crisis situations where centralized systems may be overwhelmed or slow to act.
Conclusion
Switzerland is a remarkable place with unique cultural features, which can inspire designers of resilient systems: diversity, community-based governance, the ability to shape the rules lived by society, direct feedback, a strong sense of responsibility, and a commitment to hard work. While the Swiss model cannot be transplanted entirely into every context, its core principles offer valuable insights. By thoughtfully adapting these principles, larger and more diverse societies might improve their resilience and governance structures.
Ultimately, resilience is not about rigidly adhering to a single model, but about creating systems that can learn, adapt, and thrive in the face of challenges. In this respect, Switzerland offers not just a template to copy, but a catalyst for reimagining how we build resilient societies in diverse contexts around the world.
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References and Notes
Swiss Federal Statistical Office. (2024). Politics. Retrieved from Swiss Federal Statistical Office website
Eurostat. (2023). Average number of actual weekly hours of work in main job, by sex, age, professional status, full-time/part-time and occupation. Retrieved from [Eurostat website]
Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Parental leave. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 2, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave
Wikipedia contributors. (2024). List of largest cities. In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 2, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities
von Wyl Benjamin. (2021). Appenzell Innerrhoden: The last Swiss canton to give women the vote. Retrieved from [swissinfo.ch]
Note 1: Parental leave statistics are difficult to compare as regulations vary greatly. For example, Germany also offers 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, but there is an option to take up to 58 weeks at 67% pay.
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