Call me ‘Switzerland!’
In this blog series I want to go back to the basics of why I love to travel, and I know many of you do too: because you’re curious. Curious to learn more about a new culture, curious to learn more about different ways of living life, curious to try new foods, learn about new customs and broaden your worldview. In this blog series we’ll be sharing and learning about different corners of the world, highlighting some of our favorite storytellers who can bring these stories to life on a future trip, and helping you, albeit virtually, indulge your love and curiosity to travel.
It’s taking all my self-control to not make this post about how much I love the Swiss mountains, hiking, fondu + more. I mean look at these photos - drool worthy, right?!
But today I want to talk about something you might have heard about Switzerland, can often feel when you’re in Switzerland, but isn’t a topic often mentioned in travel stories - and that’s the long Swiss history of independence and neutrality. You might have heard someone say “I’m going to be Switzerland on this issue...” well common expressions like this are rooted in both history and present-day reality, and it’s a fascinating journey. If this topic is new to you, here are a few examples of Swiss independence and neutrality:
Switzerland is not part of the European Union, and therefore does not use the Euro as their currency (their currency is the Swiss Franc.)
Switzerland largely maintained neutral military and diplomatic stances during both World Wars I and II (which was no easy feat when you consider their neighbors!)
Switzerland is not part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and only joined the United Nations in 2002.
Despite this commitment to neutrality, Switzerland maintains an army and requires part-time military service from all males between the ages of 18 and 34. And the tradition of Swiss mercenaries serving beyond its borders continues today - most famously in Vatican City.
And a little data to frame up the discussion: despite its small size, with about 16K square miles and a population of about 8.5 million people (to compare, the US has about 328 million people, and California alone is about 156K square miles.) There are four official languages spoken in the country - German, French, Italian and Romansh, and some Swiss-specific lingo is infused into each language, i.e. Swiss-German. The country is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.
To learn more about this subject (we’re just getting started!) I reached out to a local guide based in Zurich, Cynthia Toole. On our past Hosted Adventures to Switzerland, Cynthia expertly set the stage at the beginning of the trips for our groups to begin to understand Swiss history and its role in the world. Today you can find Cynthia on Instagram at @Swiss_Walking_Tours.
Q: Where did this culture of independence and neutrality come from?
It was essential for the Swiss to survive and remain independent, and neutrality helped them accomplish this goal. Three formative events were: the birth of the Swiss Confederation (AKA their independence day, 1291), the Peace of Westphalia treaty (1648) and the Congress of Vienna (1815).
The wish to be independent was present at creation of the Swiss Confederation in 1291. It was formed as a loose alliance of independent states, working together so that each could protect their own cantonal interests. By the Middle Ages, the necessity to be neutral was already clear to the Swiss. For example, they realized it was crucial to their survival to have as little involvement in the Thirty Years War as possible.
The decision paid off, and in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia treaty, European powers agreed to recognize the Swiss Confederation as an independent, sovereign state; no longer part of the Holy Roman Empire.
And third is the Treaty of Paris, following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, when the Swiss regained their independence (they were controlled by the French for about 17 years) and were officially recognized as a neutral state.
Q: What exceptions are considered to this general position of neutrality?
The policy is an ‘Armed Neutrality’ policy, in which they do not choose a side in war and the military is prepared and ready to protect the country. I believe Switzerland has and is very consistent in regards to their neutrality. While the Swiss do occasionally offer asylum to foreigners, and welcome refugees, this is considered humanitarian assistance, and is not so much an exception to their position of neutrality, rather it is separate from this policy. Since the early 19th century Switzerland has been the home to many humanitarian organizations, including the home of the International Red Cross.
Q: And I understand that this culture of independence also extends to the model of government that is both a federal system and direct democracy. Correct? And to make sure we’re all on the same page, in Switzerland there is a federal government that maintains authority over specific issues that impact the entire country (i.e. foreign affairs) and then 26 cantons (geographic areas) which are further broken down into over 2,300 communes, who each manage another set of more local issues (i.e. healthcare, education, roads, etc.) All three levels of government (federal, canton and communes) have both legislative and executive powers. This sounds familiar to the US system of government, but what are its differences?
Two differences that immediately come to mind when thinking about the U.S. and Swiss democratic systems are:
Switzerland has a direct democracy. This means the people have their say in a series of cantonal and federal referendum votes each year. For example, each year Swiss voters are able to vote on both federal and cantonal issues, rather than relying on their representatives to vote on behalf of the people they represent.
The group of people elected at the federal level are referred to as the Federal Assembly (this would be like the US Congress) but then from this group, seven members are selected (not by the people, but among their peers in the Federal Assembly) to be part of the Federal Council, which is like the Executive Branch in the US, and these seven people lead the day-to-day work of the federal bureaucracy. One person, from the seven person Federal Council, is elected as the Swiss President, and he or she serves a one-year term and is considered the “first among equals” among the other Federal Council members.
It’s easy to just fall in love with Switzerland for the obvious reasons; the mountains, clean air, love of cheese and chocolate and ease of travel - but I hope this article encourages you to dig a bit deeper to understand the bones of a country, and see how its history and the role of government not only contributes to the country you step foot in, but the people that call it home. Now I’ll be adding to my list of Swiss loves their commitment to neutrality, deep roots in global humanitarianism and top-down commitment to direct democracy to the growing list of reasons why I love Switzerland.
Here’s to staying curious, and continuing to use travel as a vehicle to learn and expand our world view!
Mary + the Living Big Travel team