During her time as Federal Councilor, Micheline Calmy-Rey advocated “active neutrality”. Now the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is putting the system under stress. Does going it alone politically have a future and, if so, in what form?
Russia’s attack on Ukraine shocked Europe and the world from the dream of an international peace order based on non-violence, which was already crumbling. Switzerland was also caught on the wrong foot: How should it position itself as a neutral state? The Federal Council reacted with a delay and then followed the EU sanctions.
How is this reaction to be assessed? Did Switzerland really act autonomously – or was it more out of fear of isolation? What weaknesses in the concept of neutrality became apparent during the Ukraine war? Switzerland has never been completely neutral – does the “muddle through” method have a future? Can or should Switzerland give up neutrality entirely like Sweden and Finland?
The NZZ editor-in-chief talks about this Eric Gujer with the former Federal Councilor and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey.