Published
The largest party in Switzerland accuses the President of the Confederation of doing too much for Ukraine. In particular for his participation in the demonstration on Saturday in Bern.
On Monday, President Ignazio Cassis distributed chocolates to refugee children at the border in Ukraine and Poland.
RTS
A bizarre return to history, the UDC is unhappy with Ignazio Cassis, whom he chose in 2017 as his successor to Didier Burkhalter. In a statement from President Marco Chiesa on Monday, she denounced her participation in Saturday’s pro-Ukrainian rally in Bern, where President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at a distance.
For the SVP, Ignazio Cassis weakens Switzerland’s neutrality: “By participating in this demonstration, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis takes sides with Ukraine and therefore violates the constitutional mandate to preserve neutrality. In addition, he is abusing his role as President of the Confederation and undermining Switzerland’s role as a neutral mediator”.
“Irresponsible and lonely”
Since Switzerland took over European sanctions, the Russians have already put Switzerland on the list of hostile countries anyway. The presence of Ignazio Cassis at this demonstration was indeed a surprise: “The UDC awaits explanations from the Federal Council about this approach as irresponsible as it is solitary”.
“…Alas, it’s true”
Will the UDC also reproach him for having distributed Toblerone bars on Monday to refugee children on the border between Poland and Ukraine? On this occasion, we heard Ignazio Cassis at “7:30 p.m.” on RTS. He still had trouble realizing what is happening: “It’s just terrible to imagine that just behind us, there is war, he said. We can’t even imagine that it’s true, we always find it hard to believe… But when we see these refugees, these people who seek protection, we realize that, alas, it’s true” .
After some hesitation at the start of the military conflict, Ignazio Cassis asserted himself as a defender of international law, flouted since February 24 by the invasion of Ukraine. This war has already caused an incalculable number of atrocities, which he described as “barbarism” during the spring session of Parliament in Bern.