A counterfactual question: Chiavenna, Valtellina and Bormio were dependencies of the Three Leagues (today’s Grisons) until 1797. Apart from borders, what would be the biggest difference to Switzerland/Swiss society in 2026 if they had been absorbed into the Confederation?
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jeanpauljh
3 comments
Even more medals at the winter olympics
I don’t think it would have changed that much. The population of Valtellina, Bormio and Val Chiavenna was very low but the region had significant strategic value.
Switzerland would have ~180,000 more Italian speakers, but Italian would still be the third national language, with the only difference that instead of ONE single canton only speaking Italian, there would be 2/3.
The Sonderbund war and the reformation post 1848 wouldn’t change much with so little Italian speakers.
The GDP per capita in the area would be low, there would be more Catholics at the national level, and the region would be great as a tourist attraction, but little would have changed at the national level, as I see it.
(I’m an irredentist, those lands will one day be Swiss again, I hope🇨🇭♥️)
I doubt this would have changed much at all. Not very relevant for our economy. Maybe the biggest change would be for the people living there, so you got to ask them.