Federal Council press conference – it couldn’t be more distorted

mw. A credibly neutral Switzerland does not take sides in wars, does not impose sanctions that violate human rights against the civilian population, and, on this basis, offers its good offices to all parties to a conflict. Until the 1990s, this was taken for granted by every Swiss citizen and also by most of our “servants of the people”. Because the Federal Council has, since then, increasingly deviated from the law and policy of neutrality, it has become necessary to enshrine these principles of Swiss neutrality in the Federal Constitution. That is the aim of the Neutrality Initiative, which, as is well known, enjoys support far beyond the confines of any single political party.
    What Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis had to say to the media on 11 August regarding the initiative confirms its urgency. The referendum question was not: “Should Switzerland remain neutral?” There is no doubt that Switzerland is and will remain neutral, according to Cassis. The question is rather whether the country “needs a new, rigid form of neutrality”. Against his better judgement – or without any knowledge of Swiss history? Or both? – Foreign Minister Cassis once again proclaimed that the practice of “flexible neutrality” had stood the test of time for over 180 years. This is pure manipulation, built upon his customary misuse of the concept of neutrality for the purpose of abolishing Swiss neutrality. The founders of the federal state of 1848 would be turning in their graves at such a distortion of history. 
    But, Mr Federal Councillor, the referendum question reads exactly as follows: “Should Switzerland remain neutral?” Namely, perpetually, armed and fully neutral, as it has always been in keeping with the Swiss conception of the state. “Flexible” neutrality is a concept devised by the Federal Administration with the aim of integrating our country into the NATO and EU military machinery, and it must be discarded without delay.
    Cassis was flanked at the press conference by Markus Mäder, State Secretary for Security Policy at the Federal Department of Defence (DDPS) (see box), who was quick to correct his boss when the latter inadvertently said: “The more uncertain the world becomes, the more important it is that Switzerland can safeguard its interests independently”, without having its course dictated by Moscow, Brussels or Washington. 
    Mäder clearly does not think much of our country’s independence; instead, he remarked, “Joint exercises with partner states have been standard practice for decades. If such cooperation were only to take place in the event of war, the country would quickly find itself in dire straits”. 
    As we know from Swiss history, the opposite is in fact true: particularly in times of heightened risk of war, the best protection for our country is not membership of a military alliance, but a return to credible neutrality that is worthy of the name. Logically, as a small country in the heart of Europe, we are “reliant on cooperation”; the question is simply what one means by that. 
    There is nothing wrong with purchasing military equipment from abroad (it doesn’t necessarily have to be overpriced US stealth bombers with the Pentagon in the cockpit), nor is there anything wrong with our pilots carrying out flight exercises in countries with more spacious airspace; however, there is an objection to our army’s participation in NATO collective defence exercises and to the transit and overflight of foreign troops across Swiss territory. The benchmark must always be Switzerland’s integral neutrality, which has stood the test of time for centuries.
    We, the citizens, still have the final say. Let us not allow a handful of power-hungry politicians and NATO-aligned officers to try to further derail our unique, neutral, directly democratic and federalist Switzerland. It is up to us to vote “yes” on 27 September to Swiss neutrality – perpetual, armed and integral. •