Switzerland's neutrality: A chronicle of its liquidation

Switzerland's neutrality, once a cornerstone of its foreign policy, has been fundamentally altered, according to journalist François Schaller. The nation's adherence to Western sanctions against Russia in 2022 marked a significant liquidation of its long-held neutral status, a move that appears to have been accepted by the Swiss populace as irreversible.

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By applying Western sanctions against Russia, Switzerland liquidated its neutrality in 2022 under duress, and the Swiss seem to have understood that it was no longer possible to go back.

Schaller criticizes the Federal Council for its inability to clearly articulate this shift, suggesting a reluctance to confront the reality of Switzerland's changed position. The public discourse surrounding neutrality has become entangled in ideological disputes, obscuring a pragmatic understanding of the issue. A key point of confusion, Schaller notes, lies in distinguishing between the legal and political interpretations of neutrality.

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Isn't it incredible and distressing that the Federal Council cannot say it like that, writes journalist François Schaller

The legal framework for neutrality, largely defined by the 1907 Hague Convention, emphasizes non-participation in wars, equitable treatment of warring parties, and restrictions on transit and arms shipments. However, Schaller argues that this framework is increasingly inadequate in the face of contemporary hybrid warfare, which blurs traditional lines of conflict and engagement.

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As expected, the debate on neutrality quickly got bogged down in mutual ideological misunderstanding.