Former Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey is very familiar with international diplomacy. In a video interview with blue News, she explains what the Federal Council could have done better in terms of neutrality.
How should Switzerland behave when there is war in the world? The answer to this varies depending on how neutrality is interpreted. Micheline Calmy-Rey is one of the people who has specialized in questions relating to Swiss neutrality. Between 2003 and 2011, the Geneva native sat for the SP in the Federal Council and was Foreign Minister. Today she lectures at the university there at the Global Studies Institute.
After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, a media conference by Ignazio Cassis caused a stir. He allowed his top officials to appear before the media, but withdrew after a short speech. One who criticized this performance was Calmy-Rey.
Has the Federal Council forgotten how to communicate with the population? “He forgot to say what his position is,” says Calmy-Rey in the video. And further: “No one really understood the Federal Council.” Even the fact that he invents a new term, that of cooperative neutrality, doesn’t make the matter any clearer.
“Strong men” dominate
Neutrality will face major challenges in the coming years. On the one hand, it is about the concept of war, because it has become more complex. “Certain conflicts that are now referred to as civil wars are no longer included in the concept of war.” The international community needs to improve on that.
Calmy-Rey is also concerned that “strong men” determine international relations. This weakens multilateralism – the process of finding a solution among several states.
Calmy-Rey thinks the accusation that Switzerland has given up its neutrality is crazy. Because Switzerland applies the law of neutrality. If it had not taken on sanctions against Russia, Switzerland would have sided with Russia and would have had to expect sanctions from the EU and the USA.
The full interview with Micheline Calmy-Rey appears on blue News this week.