Neutrality: renouncing without renouncing

On February 28, 2022, Switzerland surprised everyone by deciding to apply the European sanctions against Russia. This de facto renunciation of a certain neutrality led to a crisis in political discourse, particularly at the highest level. Analysis.

During his year as President of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis was the symbol of Swiss neutrality in crisis. From the very first days of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the man from Ticino stood out from the crowd in an un-neutral speech: «Switzerland is resolutely on the side of justice against injustice, on the side of humanity against barbarism, on the side of democracy which has been attacked for no reason whatsoever». Translation: Switzerland is on the side of Ukraine, against Russia. Admittedly, this was neither an official renunciation of Switzerland's neutrality nor a serious breach of the law of neutrality. This speech posed