Abstract
As two small neighbouring states in the heart of Europe Switzerland and Austria share common features, but also differ dramatically, particularly in terms of their political systems and international relations. In this chapter, we will first give an overview of Austrian and Swiss linguistic research on political rhetoric and review some of the main results concerning rhetorical traditions in Austria and Switzerland. In a second step, we will try to identify similarities and differences in the parliamentary rhetoric of both states by analysing how Austrian and Swiss MPs relate to Germany in their speeches before the National Council. We will do so by focussing on two recurring rhetorical topoi: arguments by comparison and arguments by example.