With his trip, Federal Councilor Cassis is consistently pursuing his idea of neutrality in the 21st century. But Swiss foreign policy is currently lacking domestic political consensus.
In his talks with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Federal President referred to traditional foreign policy values, but also sent a clear symbolic signal: Switzerland is part of the free world.
Kyiv railway station is one of the most prominent points in the Ukrainian capital. The Russian army’s intensified rocket attacks on Ukraine are primarily aimed at the critical infrastructure: the power supply and the railways. Western weapons reach the front by rail.
Despite this, Federal President Ignazio Cassis traveled from the Polish border to the Ukrainian capital in a sleeper train during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. His picture on Twitter of the Kyiv train station surprised Swiss domestic politics as well as the German media.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier canceled his visit to Ukraine because of the intensive air raids by Russia. The fact that Cassis did not change his plans was received positively in Germany: a positive side effect that was not planned in this way, but is beneficial to Switzerland’s image abroad.
Switzerland as part of the West
In fact, for security reasons, the Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) kept the information about the travel preparations strictly in a small circle until the last moment. The first rumors only leaked out on Wednesday evening, when the Federal President had long been on the road. However, the trip was already agreed two months ago: as a logical continuation of the Ukraine conference in Lugano this July.
Cassis is thus consistently pursuing his idea of a Swiss foreign policy in the 21st century. Instead of arms, Switzerland is providing humanitarian aid. The focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine occupies an important niche. Switzerland is thus in solidarity with a country that is exposed to a military attack that violates international law, but remains true to the law of neutrality.
In his talks with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Federal President referred to traditional foreign policy values, but also sent a clear symbolic signal: Switzerland is part of the free world. With this, Cassis compensates a bit for his diplomatic smile after the conversation with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The humanistic compass of the Federal President
The Federal President has refrained from a publicly effective political safari like the President of the National Council Irène Kälin. The subject is too sensitive. In the West, Swiss neutrality has long ceased to be perceived as a noble trait, quite the opposite: maintaining Switzerland’s position, whose values are currently also being defended in Ukraine, takes nerve.
Cassis tried to provide more clarity with his neutrality report. He failed miserably in the Bundesrat. “Cooperative neutrality” is off the table. The head of the EDA simply made too many political mistakes.
This is remarkable: Cassis came up with the message that Foreign policy is domestic policy. Exactly the opposite is happening now: Cassis is failing domestically, but he is able to make a difference in foreign policy; perhaps also because his basic humanistic attitude is genuine and therefore credible.
Correct in terms of foreign policy, courageous in terms of domestic policy
The Federal President relies on his inner compass. Because he is currently trying to reposition Switzerland in a changed Europe, legally neutral but politically cooperative with the value partners.
Even a military victory by Ukraine over Russia would not stop the renaissance of power politics. Switzerland will not be able to hide from these new realities. However, neutrality is not a minimum consensus for the correct handling of the fragile situations of the future. On the contrary, it is used as a blocking argument.
The popular initiative of the SVP, which wants to write a radical interpretation of the Swiss point of view into the constitution, could bring clarification. It forces Switzerland to show its colors. Cassis doesn’t seem afraid of this thunderstorm. This is one of the reasons why his trip to Kyiv was the right one – perhaps with the courage of someone who was desperate in domestic politics.