“The Neutrality of Switzerland” Publication FDFA 2022 revue.link/neutrality “Neutralität: Zwischen Mythos und Vorbild”. Micheline Calmy-Rey. NZZ Libro (2020) selves dragged in against their will. Switzerland was forced to submit virtually all its foreign trading to the scrutiny of the two warring alliances. This gave rise to the concept of economic neutrality. After the war, Switzerland joined the League of Nations. However, Switzerland was not prepared to renounce its military neutrality. Some tough negotiations led to the London Declaration of 1920, where the country was allowed to accept economic sanctions, albeit not military ones. This variety of neutrality was then named ‘differential neutrality’. When it emerged in the 1930s that the League of Nations was in no position to safeguard world peace, Switzerland distanced itself from the League in 1938 with the slogan “Back to integral neutrality”. The League of Nations conceded that Switzerland was no longer bound by the League’s sanctions. This ‘integral neutrality’ was pursued by Switzerland during the Second World War and the Cold War, and this very inflexible and legally formalised position has become successively suppler since the 1960s. For example, Switzerland joined the European Council, pursued an idealistic human rights policy and participated actively in the negotiations at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE, today: OSCE). Since Switzerland joined the UN 20 years ago, it has returned to a type of ‘differential neutrality’. In contrast to 1920, however, Switzerland was not granted any formally neutral status when it joined the UN. Switzerland has nonetheless unilaterally declared that it intends to maintain its neutrality. Now, the UN charter restricts neutrality and requires Switzerland to adopt the sanctions imposed by the UN. In addition, however, Switzerland’s Law on Sanctions from 2002 states that the country will also follow the sanctions that the OSCE and its main trading partners apply. This has now happened with the EU sanctions against Russia following the latter’s military aggression. As to whether the concept of ‘cooperative neutrality’ introduced by Federal President Cassis will ever become a reality, only time will tell. Neutrality in the ‘Historical Dictionary of Switzerland’: revue.link/neutral Dr Marco Jorio is a historian (specialising in Recent History and Swiss History). He was a project manager and editor-in-chief of the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland for 30 years. He has recently authored a history of neutrality, which is to be published in the near future. affirmed once again this autumn. In particular, the government regards the recent adoption of EU sanctions against Russia as being compatible with neutrality. Furthermore, the Federal Council intends to cooperate more closely with foreign powers on security and defence issues, both with the EU and with NATO. Although Defence Minister Viola Amherd (The Centre) has categorically ruled out joining NATO, the Swiss Army should still be able to participate in the military alliance’s defence exercises. “We should be more than just freeloaders,” Amherd stressed in a newspaper interview. Switzerland needs partnerships if it is to be able to count on support from abroad in the event of an emergency. This type of cooperation is always ‘give and take’. Finally, it is also about contributing to solidarity and stability in Europe. Now that we are facing a war in Europe, former certainties about lasting peace and well-being are starting to wobble, even in Switzerland. The world is an unstable one, and Switzerland must find a new place in it. Cartoon: Max Spring Swiss Review / December 2022 / No.6 7
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