It's a way of preemptively stopping people yelling at us about "New China" and "New Denmark". "Helvetica" is a relatively obscure name for Switzerland; it fits in with national roots like "Gallia" and "Liberty", etc. Therefore yes, it's the same, with a different name.
The beginning of this thread has been modified to better suit the current design; the most obvious difference is the name change, which I hope will help dissuade the "New China" "New Mexico" "New Russia" dispute. The background story has been slightly expanded, giving a better perspective as to why this place and these people existed at all and continue to exist even as these events with Gallia take place.
Some first steps have been made towards enacting this group in the server setting. There are many, many restrictions, and an idea as radical as this will no doubt turn heads, raise eyebrows, and illicit some frowns. However, we believe that it is still possible to some extent, and will act accordingly.