Meet the woman in charge of Swiss prosperity

Alexandra Baumannn heads the prosperity and sustainability division at the Swiss foreign ministry. Eda

Swiss prosperity increasingly depends on the fruits of its foreign policy. That makes aligning foreign policy goals with domestic ones even more essential. The Swiss foreign ministry has a special department for this.

Imagine confronting another pandemic. And all the problems that would arise if Switzerland’s health ministry took one approach while Swiss diplomats abroad suggested another. Avoiding such disconnects is the responsibility of the prosperity and sustainability division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. For nearly two decades, it has been coordinating Switzerland’s national and international goals to ensure they are coherent. SWI swissinfo.ch spoke to its new head, Alexandra Baumann.

Alexandra Baumann

Alexandra Baumann (*1974) grew up in Kreuzlingen and studied political science. She has worked as a diplomat since 2006, including at the Swiss embassy in Berlin and at the Swiss mission to the UN in New York. Since September, she has headed the prosperity and sustainability division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

SWI swissinfo.ch: Your department is responsible for coherence, but it is part of the foreign ministry. How do other ministries respond to that?

Alexandra Baumann: We represent the interests of the foreign ministry and take a foreign policy perspective. However, we work very closely and, in the vast majority of cases, very well with the international divisions of the other ministries, for example with those of the ministries for health, energy, and the environment. Every now and then there are conflicts in our objectives that must be discussed.

SWI: For example?

A.B.: Sanctions. We have a protecting power mandate for the United States in Iran. There are efforts to adopt sanctions against Iran. This is where our foreign policy weighs in saying: these are the advantages, these are the disadvantages, this is how it could influence our mandate as a protecting power. Then we need to make a political assessment. This is always done by the head of the department.

In the case of sanctions, the conflicts of interest between domestic and foreign policy are obvious. But they also exist in industry, for example, when a company wants to invest in large-scale infrastructure projects abroad. Foreign policy insists on sustainability, while domestic policy is more concerned with promoting Swiss business. We must find the middle ground. We shouldn’t erect so many hurdles for Swiss companies that they don’t get the contract, but at the same time our industry must be credible abroad and meet high standards.

SWI swissinfo.ch: Are there often differences of opinion between the foreign ministry and other ministries?

A.B.: Definitely, a lot. The foreign policy perspective is often different from the purely domestic perspective of another ministry. That’s where dialogue is needed. Fortunately, we are a consensus democracy. Everyone brings their best arguments to the table and in the end a consensus is found.

SWI: You have headed the prosperity and sustainability division for two months. What has been the biggest challenge so far?

A.B.: The sanctions. We’ve always had a service for sanctions, but since I’ve been here the workload has dramatically increased. That’s because of the sanctions against Russia, of course. Sanctions always require foreign policy assessments. We also need to explain them to the population.

Explaining is an important element of our work. I’m also thinking of the [United Nations] 2030 Agenda: everyone knows the term SDGs [sustainable development goalsExternal link], but we must translate what they mean for individual citizens.

SWI: Doesn’t declaring prosperity as a foreign policy goal sound selfish?

A.B.: No, especially not if you combine prosperity with ecological, social and economic sustainability in accordance with the 2030 Agenda. The constitution requires us to strive for both goals: prosperity and sustainability. They are interlinked. So, it’s no coincidence that in 2018 one of two government delegates responsible for the 2030 Agenda was assigned to us. He is committed to ensuring that the sustainable development goals are intrinsic not just to development cooperation, but to foreign policy in general.

SWI: Is foreign policy increasingly important for Switzerland’s prosperity?

A.B.: We are one of the most globalised countries in the world. Our economy is highly interconnected. These connections are always based on good relations. The bilateral relations that we have built up and cultivated with many countries over the years contribute to Switzerland’s prosperity. I hear frequently from Swiss companies active abroad, which first turn to the Swiss embassies to intervene with support when problems arise. This is where foreign policy can add important value.

SWI: Experts say the international environment has become more difficult, and policies specific to Switzerland – such as “flanking measures” to protect wages, or banking secrecy – are viewed more critically. Do you share that impression?

A.B.: I don’t think it has become more difficult. There is perhaps a greater need to explain foreign policy than in the past.

Our relations with the European Union are of course not easy at the moment. A long-term, solid solution is needed. Such a solution is not yet within reach. But both sides are moving step by step towards each other within the framework of the ongoing exploratory talks.

In my department, these difficulties have a particularly strong impact on academia. Switzerland’s non-membership of the Horizon [Europe] research programme is a problem for both sides. Switzerland has taken measures to cushion this, but that is the second-best solution. Our measure to protect the Swiss stock exchange infrastructure also works very well, but it is only the second-best solution. The best solution would be to have equivalence in all these areas. We hope to achieve this in the coming years.

SWI: Given the changes in foreign policy in recent decades, does Switzerland need to be blunter about its interests?

A.B.: I think we are more dependent on partners than we perhaps used to be. I notice this in the multilateral context. It is becoming more difficult to maintain the status quo. Previous negotiating results are no longer the minimum common denominator. The pressure from certain states to undermine them is growing. The tone may also have become harsher. But that is generally the case, not just in relation to foreign policy.

As full-blooded multilateralists – Switzerland hosts the second-largest UN seat – we have to forge alliances in order to stand up to heavyweight powers that use force to secure their positions rather than the law. Alliances are necessary to create a counterweight. And Switzerland does that very well.

The prosperity and sustainability division

The relationship between domestic and foreign policy has changed fundamentally as the economy and society have become increasingly globalised. There is hardly an area of domestic policy that no longer has a strong foreign policy dimension.

To ensure that Switzerland represents a coherent position abroad, the prosperity and sustainability division was created 20 years ago. It ensures the coherence of positions and efficient cooperation and coordination between the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries. It provides a foreign policy perspective to areas such as industry, finance, energy, climate, scientific research and health policy.

The prosperity and sustainability division comprises four sections and a Federal Council delegate for the 2030 Agenda.

Source: FDFAExternal link

Translated from German by Catherine Hickley