Crans-Montana disaster raises questions over federalism’s crisis response

Since the deadly fire at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland’s federal system has come under scrutiny and criticism. But for Andreas Stöckli, a board member of the Institute of Federalism, the country’s decentralised structure has little to do with the failures identified so far. Since the fateful early hours of January 1, when 40 young people lost their lives and a further 116 were seriously injured in a blaze at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, many questions have arisen. Some of them concern a cornerstone of the Swiss state: federalism. Why is an investigation of this scale being conducted by cantonal rather than federal judicial authorities? Have responsibilities along the chain of accountability been diluted? Are the cantons – and even more so the municipalities – able to enforce regulations and respond effectively in exceptional situations? >> Read our analysis of the Crans-Montana tragedy: Andreas Stöckli is a professor of constitutional and ...