“Real” neutrality?

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Today, the struggle for “genuine neutrality” is gaining momentum again. Only: “true neutrality” or V There is no such thing as neutrality. A look at history shows that neutrality has existed since wars. Neutrality is a flexible and malleable concept that has been constantly changing over the centuries.

Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages tried to contain warfare and developed the concept of “just war”, which meanwhile became relevant again. Thus, the attacked side waged a just war, while the aggressor waged an unjust war. In principle, there was no neutrality in this confrontation between good and evil. Since the 16th century, the concept of sovereign states has prevailed. Each state now had the right to go to war, but also the right not to go to war and remain neutral. But it was not until 1907, during the era of imperialism and colonialism, that neutrality was regulated by international law in the Hague Conventions.

The confederation was not neutral until 1600 and successfully waged wars of conquest. Otherwise it would not have arisen. Legend has it that Niklaus von Flue “reminded” of neutrality as early as 1481. His oft-quoted dictum “Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs” was put into his mouth. Not even the Battle of Marignano in 1515 was a turning point towards neutrality: in 1535 the western cantons conquered Vaud in a short war. It wasn’t until the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) that Switzerland chose neutrality and then continued it as “permanent neutrality”. With the French aggression of 1798, the old regime perished, and with it the old neutrality of the Confederacy. But after the fall of Napoleon, Switzerland regained its neutrality. After a stubborn marathon of negotiations, the victorious powers recognized neutrality on November 20, 1815, in the context of the Second Peace of Paris. The fact that this was “imposed” on Switzerland at the Congress of Vienna also belongs to the realm of legend.

Mythically inflated neutrality by world wars

Since then, the Confederacy has remained neutral in all wars, which means that it has not taken a military part in any conflict and has tried to find a way between the belligerents in a dangerous balancing act. It worked more or less well depending on the situation. As the neutral path proved especially successful in the two world wars, neutrality was mythically inflated in public opinion and became a central element of national identity. He played a dominant role in foreign policy until the end of the Cold War.

After 1990, neutrality fell into a crisis. Politicians, intellectuals and media workers have declared neutrality an “empty phrase”, obsolete and useless in a warless Europe and thrown it into the dustbin of history. The Federal Council and Parliament drew the necessary conclusions and in 1993 limited neutrality to the “military nucleus”. The new concept failed miserably. The people of Switzerland, including most of the political elite, have clung to the spreading ideas of neutrality since the Cold War and to this day. As early as 2000, the Federal Council had to admit that its reorientation had failed. Then neutrality practically disappeared from public discussion.

Switzerland returns to Cold War model of neutrality

From February 24, 2022, the war in Europe and with it neutrality returned. What is Switzerland doing? He is returning to the old model of Cold War neutrality. Now the effect is that our country, after joining the United Nations in 2002, did not change its neutrality and did not bring it into line with the Charter of the United Nations. Like the League of Nations in 1920, it rejects the right of states to go to war and forbids any use of force. Only the attacked state has a “natural right” to self-defence (Article 51). The Just War concept is back. Instead of joining the values ​​of the UN Charter, Switzerland pulled out of conservation the obsolete Hague Convention of 1907, which is no longer applied by any other country. He combines them with his own national laws, such as an overly strict ban on arms exports. The re-export ban goes far beyond the requirements of neutrality and thus sabotages Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The current implementation of neutrality is misunderstood at home and, above all, abroad. It’s also hard to convey. The individual elements of today’s Swiss neutrality are incompatible. All attempts to explain are useless. What is dysfunctional cannot be fixed with arguments. But now there is no reason to turn neutrality upside down. But Switzerland must fundamentally rethink its neutrality. The UN Charter and the Federal Constitution should serve as guidelines. We need a new concept of neutrality – subito.

* Marco Giorio was the editor-in-chief of the Swiss Historical Encyclopedia. He has just published the book “Switzerland and its Neutrality. 400-year history.

Source: Blick