Diplomatic relations between
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
have traditionally been close and are currently governed by a complex set of treaties (including those with the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
(EU), of which Italy is a member).
[Bilateral relations between Switzerland and Italy](_blank)
Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
The two countries
share a long border, three common languages (
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
is one of Switzerland's four official languages, German and French are recognised minority languages in Italy; moreover, Romansh is close to Ladin and Friulian, spoken in Northern Italy) and a regional language (
Lombard spoken in Canton Ticino and the Lombardy Region). Valtellina in the Lombardy region was part of Switzerland from 1512 to 1797. There are 48,000 Swiss in Italy and Italian citizens are the largest foreign group in Switzerland: 500,000 including those with
dual citizenship
Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...
. Switzerland was a popular destination for Italian emigrants in the 19th century and between 1950 and 1970 half of all foreigners in Switzerland were Italian. There are also more Swiss schools in Italy than any other country in the world.
Relations between the two countries are represented through a range of commercial, cultural and technological relationships.
Italy is not only the second largest trading partner in Europe, but also shares with the Federation a collaboration in migration. Cooperation strengthened by the better application of the
Dublin Regulation
The Dublin Regulation (Regulation No. 604/2013; sometimes the Dublin III Regulation; previously the Dublin II Regulation and Dublin Convention) is a European Union (EU) law that determines which EU Member State is responsible for the examina ...
, specifically on readmission matter.
A further step has been taken with the agreement on customs and police cooperation on cross-border control and security.
Country comparison
History
Before the birth of the Italian state in 1861, the relations between Italian state entities and the Swiss territories were of an economic and religious nature. During 1300–1400, for example, Italian merchants and bankers participated at
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
fairs contributing to their development.
Switzerland established Milan as a protectorate of the Confederation between 1512 and 1515. In 1515, the Swiss helped defend the Duchy of Milan against a French invasion.
In the period of Restoration (1815-1848) the Lombard Enlightenment had an important influence on the Swiss territories, Milan, in fact, became a place of education for the Ticinesi.
During the
Revolutions of 1848 in the Italian states
The 1848 Revolutions in the Italian states, part of the wider Revolutions of 1848 in Europe, were organized revolts in the states of the Italian peninsula and Sicily, led by intellectuals and agitators who desired a liberal government. As Italia ...
many Swiss supported the Italian cause, in particular, in the
five days of Milan
The Five Days of Milan ( ) was an insurrection and a major event in the Revolutionary Year of 1848 that started the First Italian War of Independence. On 18 March, a rebellion arose in the city of Milan, and in five days of street fighting ...
Swiss volunteers fought with the Lombardy-Venetia against the Austrians. Following the capture of Milan in August 1848 some Italian revolutionaries took refuge in Switzerland.
In the
Risorgimento
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
era, various Italian patriots, including
Cavour, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, became interested in conquering the
Ticino
Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...
Canton and the Italian-speaking valleys of Graubünden. The proclamation of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
in 1861 was perceived with relief by Switzerland, as it provided security for the country's neutrality.
Between 1870 and 1914 there was a large influx of Italian immigrants into Switzerland. This was encouraged by the 1868 treaty of domicile and consulate which ensured freedom of access and domicile in the respective countries. Italian immigrants constituted unskilled labour employed mainly for the construction of railways.
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the Italian government was committed to respecting
Swiss neutrality
Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland's foreign policy which dictates that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed or political conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external ...
and after the war with the establishment of
Fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
, bilateral relations were characterized by a policy based on friendship. The two countries concluded a new treaty of commerce (1923) and a treaty of conciliation and judicial regulation (1924).
As in the First World War also in the Second World War Italy recognized the neutrality of Switzerland in 1938, but among the expansion projects exposed by
Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
on November 30, 1938, to the Great Council of Fascism there was also the Canton of Ticino.
With the end of the Second World War there was a wave of migration to Switzerland mainly due to the fact that the Swiss production system was not affected by the damage of war and Swiss entrepreneurs sought low-cost Italian labour. The Swiss government, however, tried to limit the migration to seasonal work and concluded an agreement in 1948. This agreement stated that workers could not move in Swiss territory and remained tied to those who had hired them. In addition, family reunification was not allowed. This agreement created several tensions between the two countries and for this reason another one was signed in 1964 that allowed reunification.
Following the oil crisis that began in 1973, many Italian workers in Switzerland returned to Italy.
Business Relations
Italy is Switzerland's second largest trading partner and Switzerland is Italy's 8th largest investor (CHF 22bn) creating 78,000 jobs. The Lombardy Region represents 90% of all Switzerland's trading with Italy according to former federal councillor
Ueli Maurer
Ulrich "Ueli" Maurer (; born 1 December 1950) is a Swiss politician who has served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2009. A member of the Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC), he was President of the Swiss Confederation in 2013 and 2019 ...
. Italy invests CHF 6bn in Switzerland and creates 13,000 jobs.
The two are strongly integrated through the EU's treaties with Switzerland and Switzerland is also part of the EU's
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
.
History of Economic Relations
Trade relations between the two countries were favored by geographical proximity and their membership in the
Latin Monetary Union
The Latin Monetary Union (LMU) was a 19th-century system that unified several European currencies into a single currency that could be used in all member states when most national currencies were still made out of gold and silver. It was establish ...
. The opening of the
Gotthard tunnel
, it, Galleria del San Gottardo
, other_name =
, line = Gotthard Line
, location = Traversing the Saint-Gotthard Massif in the middle of the Swiss Alps
, coordinates =
, os_grid_ref =
, status =
, system ...
and the port of Geneva also favored relations.
The Italian protectionist turn in the 1970s led to a partial slowdown of trade relations, which created the condition for a revision of trade treaties. Although the revision took place, trade balance remained clearly in favor of Italy.
Until 1970 the Swiss market was the only one with which Italy benefited from a constant trade surplus, already at the beginning of the 20th century Swiss investors and companies gave important impulses to the peninsula.
Bilateral trade was not visibly affected by Italy's participation in war, a clear sign was the opening of Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Italy in 1919. This period was also characterized by a relative decrease in Swiss imports from Italy although exports remained constant, this turned out on the reduction of trade balance favorable to Italy.
After the war in Ethiopia, the Swiss financial center and in particular the credit institutions, played a central role in the transfer of credit to Italy.
The end of the Second World War gave a new start to bilateral trade:
In 1950 both countries joined the
European Payments Union
The European Payments Union (EPU) was an organization in existence from July 1950 to December 1958, when it was replaced by the European Monetary Agreement.
With the end of World War II, economic depression struck Europe. Of all the non-neutral ...
. As a result, new trade agreements and payment methods led to a new period of liberalization of bilateral trade and stability in terms of trade volume.
This period is featured by a large amount of investment from the Confederation to the peninsula:
* The Swiss financial center stood out for its fundamental role in the assignment of receivables to Italian companies and institutions. State railways received a loan from the Swiss financial center and used it to strengthen and electrify the railway lines that connected northern Italy to Switzerland.
* About 50% of the Swiss FDI in Italy was concentrated in the north of the country. The importance of Swiss direct investment in Italy was often explained by the influx of Italian capital illegally exported to the confederation, which made Lugano the third financial center of the country.
Contemporary economic relations
Switzerland is one of Italy's most important trading partners. In 2021, Switzerland exported goods worth US$13.2 billion to Italy and imported goods worth US$32.2 billion, resulting in a total trade volume of US$45.4 billion. Investment flows in both directions are of major economic significance for both countries.
In 2020:
* Swiss direct investments in Italy amounted to EUR 28.9 billion
* Italian direct investments in Switzerland totaled EUR 18.4 billion.
Exchanges are close in border regions. Over 70000 Italians cross the border to work in Switzerland. At the end of 2017 there were about a thousand Italian companies in Switzerland, which hire 21,000 employees, mainly in the following sectors: clothing, finance, food and construction. Specifically for the construction sector, the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland, has launched an initiative called Investment4Business, which facilitates and promotes investments in real estate business between the two countries.
Cultural Exchange
Italy and Switzerland have close relations also in the cultural field.
The "Istituto Svizzero"
In 1947 Switzerland founded the “Istituto Svizzero di Roma”, which was created to enhance the cooperation between Italy and Switzerland in the cultural and the scientific fields. This institute participates in various projects like the “settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo” which is an initiative of the Italian foreign ministry. The institute aims to extend the influence of Switzerland culture beyond its borders. The structure offers exhibitions, conferences, meetings in Rome, Milan, and Palermo. Every year the institute hosts young researchers or artists. Exchange students attending these programs study Italian, which is one of the four Swiss national languages.
The institute supports Swiss projects and research in Italy. In this way the cooperation and the cultural and scientific exchange between the two countries is enhanced. The main objectives of the structure are:
# Offer young people the possibility to develop their projects (scientific or artistic) and to participate actively in the Italian activities.
# Develop artistic and scientific collaborations between Switzerland and Italy.
# Promote Swiss education, research and innovation in Italy
Cooperation in education
In Milan, Bergamo, Rome, Catania and Como it is possible to find Swiss schools. Two universities, the
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and the
University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, offer Italian students the possibility to apply for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to the State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation.
Diplomatic relations
Italy and Switzerland diplomatic relations are based on the conclusion of 22 treaties
and on regular meetings between the representatives of the two governments.
Resident diplomatic missions
* Italy has an embassy in
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and consulates-general in
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
,
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...
and
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
and a consulate in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
.
* Switzerland has an embassy in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and a consulate-general in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
.
File:Bern Elfenstrasse 10 Embassy of Italy in Switzerland DSC01352.jpg, Embassy of Italy in Bern
File:Consulate-General of Italy in Basel.jpg, Consulate of Italy in Basel
File:Consulat général d'Italie à Genève 2018-12-13.jpg, Consulate-General of Italy in Geneva
File:Consolato d'Italia, via Ginevra, Ingresso.jpg, Consulate-General of Italy in Lugano
See also
*
Campione d'Italia
Campione d'Italia ( Comasco: , ) is a ''comune'' of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy and an enclave surrounded by the Swiss canton of Ticino (it is also an exclave). At its closest, the enclave is less than from the rest of ...
*
Swiss Italian
The Italian language in Switzerland or Swiss Italian ( it, italiano svizzero) is the variety of the Italian language taught in the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland. Italian is spoken natively by about 700,000 people in the canton of Ticino ...
*
Switzerland–European Union relations
Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union (EU). It is associated with the Union through a series of bilateral treaties in which Switzerland has adopted various provisions of European Union law in order to participate in the Union's ...
*
Swiss in Italy
*
Italians in Switzerland
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Italy-Switzerland relations
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
Bilateral relations of Switzerland