A corpse has changed the Swiss foreign policy

Mr Zala, with Ueli Maurer is received for the first Time, the President of the Swiss Confederation officially adopted by the American President. What took you so long?
The Swiss reasons. Switzerland – as urrepublikanisches state – always had great trouble with the diplomatic ceremonial and Protocol in the foreign policy. Until the 1950s, the Federal Council appointed no Ambassador, but only the Minister. The lower diplomatic rank, with the result that these representatives were always asked last to the table. And then also bitched that this all cost so much!

What very is Swiss.
Yes. Foreign policy could cost nothing. The Federal councillors were regularly in panic if they had to submit to the Parliament the Budget for missions abroad. To travel abroad was not to think. Only a body has changed all that.

Whose?
As President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, has triggered a worldwide concern. The Federal Council met after the attack in the evening of 21 PM, a special meeting and decided to send Friedrich Traugott elections to the funeral. The government feared that a stay away from Switzerland would be more difficult to explain. The death of the US President was "a case sui generis", said Federal councillor Willy spuehler and consoled me: "You are not allowed to make this case to a state visit". And so was a Minister of elections – outside of a SVPler how Ueli Maurer – the first Federal Council, who travelled officially in the United States. In the next decade, the Swiss foreign has adjusted the policy, then, piece by piece, to the international diplomatic practice. However, it was still gemäkelt, when a Federal Council traveled abroad: "to prefer to create at home!" A very special view of foreign policy.

The relationship between the United States and Switzerland was always a relatively close-knit. Why like us, the Americans?
the Crucial factor was surely that Switzerland signed at the beginning of the 1950s, a Gentlemen's Agreement, and thus committed not to supply military equipment to the Eastern bloc countries. Thus, under the neutral Switzerland, de facto, the American Eastern bloc politics threw during the Cold war – such a thing is appreciated in America.

Accordingly, it is often the Switzerland, and received mandates as a protecting power. How is it actually come about?
The roots of this task lie in the 19th century. Century, as the leading Swiss lawyers, international law developed further, for example with regard to arbitration. As a neutral country without Imperial ambitions, Switzerland was predestined for good services and compensated after the Second world war, at the same time, non-membership in the UN. In particular, the USA have taken advantage of these services again and again. Very intense, for example during the two world wars – which favoured an Expansion of the outside departments and the professionalization of foreign policy, incidentally, paid for by the mandate States.

"Under the Banner of neutrality so active outside could be policy – an ingenious construct."

And Switzerland has been able to make a difference in this role something?
Yes. In addition to the world of mediation activity during the Korean wars was war and, later, in Cuba and in Iran, is outstanding. In 1962, one of the most important Advisor to the President told the Swiss Ambassador: "If neutral Switzerland did not exist, we had to invent it." If the neutral, Switzerland would not exist, they would have to invent it – which of course is flattering, but something about the relationship of the two countries testifies.

This protection mandates have always helped Switzerland.
Clear. You have meant that Switzerland had immediate access to the highest realms of Washington and a foreign policy weight not received that agreed with the actual Size of Switzerland. At the same time this protection were, and are, mandates a domestic political Instrument. Under the Banner of neutrality so active outside could be policy – an ingenious construct.

The United States have always maintained the Switzerland as a protecting power, although there was also dispute between the two countries. What were the biggest problems in the past?
The economic interests have often diverged. Concerning the frozen Swiss assets from the Second world war, or the clocks of the dispute in the 50s and 60s, as two different viewing Ellen in the ways of kart in the economy have collided and as a result, thousands of people in Switzerland lost their jobs. On intensive examination of the Bank secret was, however. A dispute with a long lead!

Yes?
in 1967, the Swiss Ambassador reported to Bern that something could be brewing. Gifteleien the Ambassador was suspended already for a long time, but at the time, the United States asked for the first Time officially through the Swiss banking secret. "It is not excluded that the question of banking secrecy could, in time, to a serious political issue in the Swiss-American relations," reports the Ambassador to Bern. What it was also!

The economic differences seemed never so serious that the relationships were in serious jeopardy, or?
Yes, you can say so. In the Ministry of foreign Affairs and also in the White house in Switzerland had suffered politically always. In the case of the various Ministers rather less – so that has held up the scale. And at the moment it looks as if it is the level of relations still quite good.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 16.05.2019, 15:59 PM