Swiss politicians deliberately use Swiss accent to connect with electorate, says political analyst

Swiss politicians have been found to deliberately use a Swiss accent when speaking High German, according to political analyst and author Mark Balsiger. In a recent interview, Balsiger stated that using a polished standard German or even speaking in stage German can trigger defensive reflexes or increase the distance between politicians and the electorate. He believes that mentally, Switzerland is still a country of farmers and that this is reflected in the language and pronunciation used by politicians.

This trend is not limited to politics, however. Accent-free High German is not popular with the Swiss audience either. A moderator at Swiss radio station SRF discovered this when she was forced to adapt her pronunciation to the Swiss accent. Debating expert Thomas Skipwith agrees that the Swiss tend to react skeptically to polished speakers.

While the Swiss accent is popular, it has consequences for parliamentary debates. According to Balsiger, politicians often use wooden sentences, and this is something that is accepted by the Swiss people. He believes that this is because High German is a foreign language, and people should admit that there are different dialects that are far removed from pure High German.

Despite the importance of the "sympathy" factor in Swiss politics, Balsiger does not believe that a politician's pronunciation can make a huge difference in the election decision. He argues that there are over twenty factors that contribute to a person's vote. However, the use of a Swiss accent is clearly a conscious decision made by Swiss politicians, reflecting the country's cultural identity and connection to its farming roots.