International press welcome end to Swiss isolation

Many national and international papers hail the vote as 'historic' swissinfo.ch

The international press widely welcomed Switzerland's vote to join the United Nations on Sunday, describing the event as a decisive step away from its isolationist policies of the past.

The New York Times said the “surprisingly comfortable popular ratio” in favour of joining the UN was a historic step to leaving behind “decades of isolationism”.

The Financial Times said it marked a “turning point” in Switzerland’s relationship with the wider world, marking the end of its “rather quaint idea that it is a special case, the so-called ‘Sonderfall Schweiz'”. The paper also said the vote ended the Swiss “…reputation as a country unwilling to shoulder its share of global responsibilities.”

The London-based paper said since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, “the world no longer needs a politically isolated Switzerland to act as diplomatic go-between.”

Switzerland’s great humanitarian tradition and its already generous contribution to the UN made its membership a welcome addition, the paper said.

The Wall Street Journal highlighted the wider issues inherent in the vote, such as Switzerland’s “definition of itself and its place in the world.”

Whereas the country’s “independent mindedness” had prevented it from being more than just an observer in UN activities, the vote marked a change of attitude, potentially signalling its willingness to join the European Union in “years to come,” said the paper.

Alpine nirvana

The Guardian also supported this view, saying the vote would revive momentum for a referendum on the “far more ambitious commitment” of joining the EU. The Guardian also said the vote ended “the myth of an Alpine nirvana aloof from the world.”

Many international papers, such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, also saw the vote as evidence of the “deep divisions” between the French and German-speaking cantons.

On Sunday, French speaking cantons voted with a 66.9 per cent “Yes” vote, whereas German-speaking cantons rejected UN membership by 67.5 per cent.

Blocher’s disappointment

A prominent representative of the Swiss People’s Party, Christoph Blocher, has featured heavily in the international press, saying the “Yes” vote amounted to a personal blow.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung, under the headline “Welcome to the World”, said the vote exposed Blocher’s scare mongering arguments in the anti-UN campaign as largely “unserious” and unfounded.

Lone ranger

In Switzerland, the French-speaking press was especially enthusiastic about the outcome of the vote. La Liberté expressed its relief at Switzerland finally shedding its image as a “lone ranger” on the world stage.

“Le Temps” said the vote was a “small step for the UN, and a big step for Switzerland”, which would play a crucial role in defending human rights and the rights of ethnic minorities within the UN.

The German-speaking tabloid, the Blick, lead its front page with “It’s yes to the UN! We’re part of it!”.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung gave a more cautious welcome to the vote. “The Yes vote was too narrow to be one of euphoria – rather, it’s a reasoned move …this is not the end of an era, but a step into normality.”

The Tages Anzeiger said the vote shattered the “myth of neutrality – the Cold War has finally also come to an end in Switzerland.”

by Vanessa Mock