Martindale Retrospectives Retrospective on Amy Di Stasio, Switzerland: Has Neutrality Reached Its Limits?” from Austria and Switzerland at the Crossroads Perspectives on Business and Economics, Volume 18, 2000 Amy (Di Stasio) Nehlsen is Executive Director, Air Separation Unit Product Line at Air Products in Allentown. The author discusses the history of neutrality, the implications of neutrality for the country, and why it is important to reinterpret the policies of neutrality. Has Switzerland become a full member of the EU? Writing in 2000, (Di Stasio) Nehlson suggested European Union accession as an important next step for Switzerland, arguing that membership in the EU would not affect most aspects of the country’s neutrality. Although closely tied to the EU through various agreements, to this day Switzerland has not joined. The article reviews Switzerland’s long tradition of neutrality and non-alignment in international affairs. This stance has shaped its approach to EU integration. While there were formal talks regarding advancement of Switzerland's involvement in the EU, the discussions fell short of agreement. “Between 2014 and 2021, the EU and Switzerland negotiated an institutional framework agreement, which should have secured and further developed Switzerland’s participation in the EU internal market. In May 2021, the Swiss government unilaterally terminated these talks” (The European…, 2021). Swiss citizens and policymakers remained concerned that EU membership could compromise the country's neutrality. Nevertheless, according to the EU’s website, Switzerland and the EU share many values. They support each other in a variety of areas, including climate change, promoting human rights, and combating poverty. Is neutrality still advantageous to Switzerland? Switzerland has been neutral since 1515. Its neutrality has contributed to its stability and security, assuring it does not get dragged into conflicts from neighboring countries. Recent polls suggest that “A majority (57%) of the Swiss population is still in favor of Switzerland's differential policy of neutrality, i.e., it should take a political stand but be militarily neutral” (Tresch, 2023). This response comes after the RussiaUkraine conflict, which prompted Switzerland to rethink its complete neutrality. Another survey suggests that a slight majority (55%) is “in favour of re-exporting Swiss-made war materiel to Ukraine” (Small…, 2024). Currently, this is prohibited in Switzerland. Unless the country is fighting under a UN mandate, the sale of arms to other countries is illegal. Although still neutral, Switzerland has sided with the EU in sanctions against Russia. In July 2024, Switzerland deepened sanctions in response to Russia’s ongoing military aggression against Ukraine (Ukraine…, 2024). Switzerland's neutrality continues to succeed in maintaining stability, even as the nation navigates the complexities brought by the RussiaUkraine conflict. There are no signs of an end to Switzerland’s neutrality. References The European Union and Switzerland. (2021, July 30). Delegation of the European Union to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Small majority of Swiss back re-exporting arms to Ukraine. (2024, January 28). SWI swissinfo.ch. Ukraine: Switzerland adopts further sanctions against Russia. (2024, July 9). Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, Switzerland. [Press Release]. Tresch, T. S. (2023, March 16). Survey security 2023. ETH Zurich. Retrospective by Randi Conroy ‘25 Finance, with mass communication minor 3 November 2024
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