The Swiss Minaret Ban Referendum and Switzerland’s International Reputation
A Vote with an Impact
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6085333 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dina Wyler |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 413-425 |
| Publication date | 2017-10-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0266-6952 • E-ISSN: 1469-9591 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13602004.2017.1405506 |
| OpenAlex | W2773056302 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
In 2009, Switzerland prohibited the constructions of minarets on a nationwide basis due to a popular referendum. Immediately, the status of Switzerland as an ambassador for diplomacy and neutrality was questioned by the international community. This paper discusses the short-term impact of the vote on Switzerland's international reputation by analyzing Switzerland's ranking in the National Brand Index (NBI) between 2005 and 2015. The analysis shows that the general international reputation of Switzerland as well as its people's and government's reputation experienced a decline after the vote. The Swiss, in particular, suffered a loss in reputation abroad, while the reputation of Switzerland's government maintained a high ranking. An explanation for these differences is the way the Swiss Federal Council acted before and after the vote. The Council opposed the initiative from the very beginning and started a campaign to assure that the good relations with other countries, especially Muslim countries remain intact. These efforts paid off, as the analysis of the NBI shows. By actively reaching out to important parties such as the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Swiss government could maintain its position in the top three of the NBI ranking. This was possible due to Switzerland's long-term strategy in "image-cultivation" abroad. Meanwhile, the Swiss people who voted for the ban with 57 yes-votes experienced a downward trend in their international reputation
Diplomacy · Government (linguistics · Political science · Politics · Ranking (information retrieval · Referendum · Reputation · European Cultural and National Identity · Historical Geopolitical and Social Dynamics · Law · Philippine History and Culture · Public Administration
| Citations per year | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2024 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |