myIs this a “Progressive approach” The Swiss nationalist and sovereignist Democratic Union (UDC) party is constantly complaining about the fact that it is angry that Switzerland’s neutrality is taking a more pragmatic turn. Is there, on the contrary, nothing new, as the centrist Minister of Defence, Viola Amherd, who is the main target of the anger of the first city for her frequent and relaxed relations with the top representatives of the Atlantic Alliance, would like to swear?
In mid-August, a report by independent experts, commissioned by the Minister, predicted a “greater cooperation” with Western military organisation, without excluding Swiss soldiers from participating in joint military exercises outside their borders in the future.
Even a few months ago it was unthinkable, but the mere mention of such a prospect indicates that things are changing in Switzerland and that the rigorous interpretation of neutrality adopted until recently may have come to an end. The CDU itself is not wrong in sensing that an imminent danger hangs over this mythical status of non-aligned state since 1815.
Denouncing the strange adjustments made to the original text and its spirit, the far-right party submitted 132,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery in April on a popular initiative demanding a “complete neutrality” which the Swiss will have to vote on in two years. The fact that this political group includes openly pro-Russian figures is not unrelated to this hardening.
Passive duplicity with the Kremlin
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022 upset the security order of the Old Continent, Switzerland has been caught in this identity debate, which forces it to constantly explain itself to its main partners. These contortions have earned the country much criticism.
There is the passive duplicity with the Kremlin, when Bern prohibits Germany from transferring to the Ukrainian army equipment that the Swiss arms industry sold to it decades earlier. There is also the cynicism behind the apparent cooperation, when Switzerland resumes EU sanctions against Russia, but applies them with a questionable degree of motivation, for example in the search for Russian funds from oligarchs affiliated with the Putin regime. 150 billion dollars (135 billion euros) “at least” According to the estimates of the Swiss Bankers Association itself (which has no reason to exaggerate its importance), only $7 billion has been blocked. The rest had plenty of time to find its way to Dubai when the issue finally disappeared from the news radar and external pressures subsided.
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