Forgotten Romansh. How the Federal Council ruined her Instagram launch.

As soon as the Federal Council’s Instagram channel has been launched, it needs to be improved for the first time. Motivation: Nobody had thought about the fourth national language.

It has space on the ID. On the Zehnernotli. Everywhere in everyday life you will find information in all four national languages: Ten francs. Ten francs. Ten Francs. German francs.

When the Federal Council’s official Instagram channel was launched on Monday, however, the fourth national language was forgotten. The Bundesrat is presented to the community in German, French and Italian, but not in Romansh. It can’t be because of the place, because there is one for English: “The Swiss government “ takes care of the channel.

Of course, this immediately attracts the attention of the Grisons. “Switzerland is proud of its four national languages. A small note to the state government: English is not one of them », writes Adrian Camartin, journalist of the Romansh radio RTR on Twitter.

A mistake by the Federal Council’s social team? Or was the fourth national language, which is the main language for only about 0.5% of the population, deliberately omitted?

“We made a mistake that we will correct as soon as possible. We are sorry, “explains Urs Bruderer, Deputy Head of the Communications Department of the Federal Chancellery. The Romansh term for the Swiss government has now been added to the profile biography:”The Swiss regencyCan be read there from Tuesday. “It’s symbolically important,” says Bruderer.

“Unfortunately, Romansh is often forgotten,” says Diego Deplazes. “It is all the more important that there has been critical feedback from users and that a discussion has ensued.” As general secretary of Lia Rumantscha, the umbrella organization of Romansh-language associations, he is used to having to remind people of the fourth national language.

For Deplazes it is important that Romansh takes place on Instagram: “Communication has changed. It would be a good sign for our young people if they saw that Romansh is also spreading on social media. Furthermore, Instagram posts usually require little text. , so it shouldn’t fail due to the translation effort. “

Urs Bruderer of the Federal Chancellery, on the other hand, clarifies. “We can’t make all posts available in four languages, we can’t afford it.” However, the selected content should definitely be translated or created in Romansh.

The meeting of the Federal Council is a way of making amends extra walls: Tomorrow, Wednesday, the state government will not meet in Bern, but in the southern valley of Val Müstair in Graubünden and will also mix with the population. “There are certainly a lot of Romansh posts,” says Bruderer.