Former Jura Councilor of State Jacques Gerber has been the Federal Council delegate for Ukraine since the start of the year. Back from a trip to the country, he evokes for the first time in the morning of Tuesday his task but also the resilience of the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians in the face of “psychological terror”.
When we arrive in Ukraine, “we very quickly feel that we are in a country at war,” said Tuesday morning Jacques Gerber, the “Ukraine of the Confederation”, returning from a stay in the country. There may be “sometimes the impression of a normal life, but that is not at all the case. We have almost every night attacks”.
“We can clearly see the psychological terror which is imposed by these attacks on the whole population”, but “the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians have a lot of resilience,” said the Jurassian. “This does not mean that they do not suffer. They suffer daily from this situation of war. But beyond these atrocious attacks, they fight for them, for their country, for their freedom. We must be aware of this dimension when we bring our aid”, specifies the former State Councilor.
Ukrainians suffer from this war situation daily. But beyond these atrocious attacks, they fight
A new job
The Federal Council created this post of delegate to direct the entire program for Ukraine that Switzerland has set up with first funding of 1.5 billion over four years. “My role is to direct, to implement this program which has different facets: humanitarian aid, cooperation, development, promotion of peace through concrete projects, but also, and this is the novelty of this program, helping the Swiss private sector to invest in Ukraine, to help the Ukrainian economy to recover”.
For this last point, the program aims to meet Ukrainian needs in fields such as energy or transport. “We have made it possible to rebuild a power plant production center, railway paths with Swiss companies because Ukraine does not have these skills on its territory,” explains the 51 -year -old PLR, while specifying that we must see the long -term benefits: “Quite honestly, in the short term, it is risk taking. And precisely, the help of the State is there to motivate them”.
Currently, “we focus the effort on humanitarian needs. But that is not to say that there are no other needs. To be able to be resilient, you have to have employment, you have to be able to deliver the basic services of a company. In this context, we have skills. We have companies that can bring their innovations on the spot”, he notes.
We focus the effort on humanitarian needs. But that does not mean that there are no other needs
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communication work
With a title of ambassador, “I represent Switzerland in all international conferences on development aid, on demining, on reconstruction. On the spot, this title allows me to have access to ministers, to the government. In Switzerland, it is a work of communication, transparency. I must work with Parliament, explain what we do. I must prove to control the finances that the procedures are respected. Citizers and Swiss citizens understand where their money is going and why “, still illustrates Jacques Gerber.
Asked about his appointment, the former state councilor noted that he was extremely surprised when he was called to find out for this position.
Jacques Gerber: “My journey shows that I have never feared the challenge”
“I am neither a diplomat nor a specialist in Ukraine”. Switzerland already has an ambassador to Ukraine “which does its work extremely well in extremely difficult conditions” as well as “many excellent specialists in Ukraine”.
“What is missing is a link between politics, the population, the implementation and the defense of projects, it is almost the daily life of a State Councilor. It is my experience in this area that helps me do my work,” concludes Jacques Gerber.
Interview by Delphine Gendre
Adaptation web: France-Anne Landry
