The President of the Council of States, Ivo Bischofberger (PPD/AI), travelled to Rome from 5 to 7 May 2017. The programme on 5 May included a meeting with Vice-President of the Italian Senate, Linda Lanzillotta, and a visit to the Swiss School in Rome. On Saturday, 6 May, Ivo Bischofberger went to the Vatican to attend the oath-taking ceremony of recruits of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. He also accompanied President of the Swiss Confederation, Doris Leuthard, at a meeting with His Holiness Pope Francesco.

​Italy is one of Switzerland’s main partners. These visits serve the purpose of consolidating ties between the two parliaments, which are particularly rich because of the shared language and democratic values. The President of the Council of States, Ivo Bischofberger, took this opportunity to raise migration issues and thanked Italy for its efforts in this area. Both sides agree that migration must be managed and that good integration is necessary.

The two countries also share many similarities, including perfect bicameralism in parliament. Ms Linda Lanzillotta pointed out that the reform of the Italian Senate was blocked by a referendum held in 2016 and that therefore the powers of the upper-house of parliament have remained unchanged. For his part, Mr Bischofberger stressed the importance of paying due attention to minorities. According to the President of the Council of States, it is important that minority groups, regardless of their linguistic or geographical background, are always given the opportunity to be heard. The same applies to young people, who should be able to become economically, socially, culturally and politically integrated in the country after their education is complete.

Ivo Bischofberger was then welcomed by José Oberson Mau, Director of the Swiss School in Rome (SSR), and by Pio Federici, President of the school’s Board of Directors. Situated in the heart of Rome and legally recognised by the Italian state, the Swiss School in Rome employs around sixty teachers covering the full range of Swiss general education, from pre-school (age 3) and compulsory education through upper-secondary level. The main language of instruction of the school is German and the second Italian, the latter being both the language of the host country and an official language of Switzerland. The school has around 500 pupils: 35% Swiss, 45% Italian and the remaining 20% of other nationalities. As a board member of the association educationsuisse – which represents the interests of Swiss schools abroad in their dealings with the general public, the private sector and state institutions in Switzerland – Ivo Bischofberger underscored the very important role that these schools play both in educating young people and and promoting Switzerland. The Swiss School in Rome is located in a prestigious neighbourhood in the centre of the Italian capital. It therefore requires sufficient funding to optimally carry out its remit and remain current with continuously changing education requirements.

During his stay in Rome, the President of the Council of States was accompanied by the Swiss Ambassador to the Holy See, Pierre-Yves Fux, by Consul Giancarlo Paduano and by Minister Pietro Lazzeri from the Swiss Embassy in Rome.