‘Switzerland is a partial member of the EU,’ says historian

Switzerland, represented by its President Guy Parmelin, agreed a new package of agreements with the EU in March. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

Switzerland has historically been shaped by the major powers around it and is far from being an independent country that can rely solely on itself, says historian André Holenstein.

The Senate has completed its review of the package of agreements (known as Bilaterals III) with the European Union (EU), and the issue is now heading over to the House of Representatives. The conservative camp, led by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, uses rhetoric that emphasises Switzerland’s independence in the face of “diktats from Brussels” and “foreign judges”, warns against “submission to Europe,” and denounces “interference by European institutions.”

Historian André Holenstein believes this idea of an independent Switzerland that can rely only on itself makes no historical sense. In his view, the debate over the agreements with the EU “suffers from a biased perception”.

“Switzerland – both the old Confederation and modern Switzerland – is a country caught between, on the one hand, openness, especially in trade, towards the world and towards Europe, a Switzerland open to the world through migration flows; and on the other hand, a very rigid mental image of isolationism, the idea that we are a country that has always survived on its own resources and strength,” he told the public broadcaster RTS.

The co-author of the book Die Souveränität der Schweiz in Europa (Switzerland’s Sovereignty in Europe) points out that Switzerland is, in fact, already highly integrated in the EU.

“Through a series of democratic votes, Switzerland has decided to integrate itself into the European Union’s common market [Switzerland is, notably, a founding member of the European Free Trade Association or EFTA]. We are a partial member of the European Union,” Holenstein argued.

Shaped by foreign powers

The historian therefore considers it logical that this proximity comes with certain obligations: “If we want to be part of this common market, of course we are obliged to follow the rules under which it was established. It’s quite simple in principle. So to speak of a colonial contract or a contract of submission is to refuse to see what is at stake.”

Holenstein goes further. In his book Mitten in Europa (In the Middle of Europe), he shows that Switzerland is a nation shaped by the will of foreign powers and that it has never been sovereign.

“What happened between 1798 and 1848 was absolutely decisive in the formation of modern Switzerland,” he said. “Before that, under the Ancien Régime, we were a Helvetic body – a Confederation composed of 13 small republics whose primary common interest was to avoid becoming a nation in order to preserve as much autonomy as possible.”

These 50 years were marked by numerous political crises, including wars between the cantons and interference by neighbouring great powers. “Foreign powers played a major role in helping Switzerland become what it was by 1848,” said Holenstein.

He cites the example of the French invasion and the creation of the Helvetic Republic in 1798. “This marked the end of many vital and essential elements of the Ancien Régime,” he explained. “There would never again be subject territories. From that point on, in principle, the former subject territories would be equal to the former cantons.”

Buffer state

“Next, it is important to recall that it was Napoleon who, in 1803, created six new cantons, including Vaud, Ticino, Thurgau, and St Gallen,” he added. “These cantons owe their cantonal sovereignty and their status as full-fledged cantons of the Confederation to Napoleon, not to the Confederates.”

Holenstein also points out that the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was pivotal in establishing Swiss neutrality.

“Here again, it was the foreign powers that, in a sense, recognised Switzerland’s independence. They reasoned that this small country, situated in the middle of the continent, served – through its neutrality – a new European security architecture. Switzerland acted as a buffer state separating France and the former Austrian Empire, thereby making a major contribution to European peace and security.”

“All of this serves to remind us just how significant a role foreign influence played in this transition from 1798 to 1848, during which Switzerland took a long time to find its new form and its new role,” Holenstein concluded.

Translated from French, sub-edited by Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi/dos