Röstigraben

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Saane/Sarine river near Fribourg, a symbol of the Röstigraben

The Röstigraben, from the name of the national Swiss-German potato dish Rösti that originated in the Canton of Bern, is a political expression in Switzerland referring to the difference in mentality between Swiss Germans and the French-speaking Romands and the latent conflicts between the German-speaking majority and the French minority.

Its name comes from a play on the rift (or Graben) of the Saane river (in French Sarine) that to some degree separates the language populations in the Canton of Fribourg.

In political terms, it is often used to describe the differences in voting behavior between the different parts of Switzerland.

In social and foreign policy, the Romands tend to be more friendly to state regulation and supportive of a more open foreign policy.
In areas related to transportation, the environment, and drugs, the difference is not as marked, but the Romands tend to be a bit more conservative and technocratic.

In recent years, however, the differences in perspectives on foreign and social policy seem to be weakening and the urban areas of German-speaking Switzerland and more and more middle-sized and small towns are voting in tandem with Western Switzerland.