In business meetings or at national conferences, it frequently happens that everybody speaks in their mother tongue, and it is assumed that they understand the language of their opposite numbers. Usually, however, the Ticinese and Rumantsch speakers adapt to the situation by speaking French or German - or, more and more, everyone speaks English.

The language problem is nothing new. In 1850 the satirical magazine Postheiri showed some creative thinking: it combined the three official languages into a "spracha eidgenössica" or "Swiss", and used it to describe how parliament might discuss budget cuts - and to take a swipe at deputies who prefer to go out to read the paper or have a smoke than listen to speeches:

"Ordre du giorno: esparnissi dans les ausgabi fédérali. Un rednero ergreift la parole. Viele membri andiano dans le vorzimmero pour rauchare un cigarro; les autres lesano les zeitungen."