No country has taken in more refugees from Ukraine per capita than the Czech Republic: there are almost 400,000 – and that’s with ten million inhabitants. Switzerland has so far taken in 67,000 Ukrainians.
Petr Pavel on a state visit to Bern
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Keystone/Michael Reynolds
The Federal Council will receive Petr Pavel for a state visit on Tuesday. The invitation to Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlová underlines the excellent relations between the two countries, said the Federal Council. In addition to shared values, a lively exchange in politics, business and culture connects Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
To kick things off, the President will open an economic forum at ETH Zurich together with Federal President Viola Amherd. Security issues and cooperation in Europe will be discussed during visits to the Spiez laboratory and the Federal Armaments Office (Armasuisse) in Thun.
On Wednesday, the Federal Council will receive the state guest at the Bundesplatz in Bern with military honors. Then the official speeches are planned in the foyer of the Federal Palace. In addition to Amherd, Federal Councilors Guy Parmelin, Ignazio Cassis, Albert Rösti and Beat Jans are taking part in the political discussions in the Bernerhof. (sda)
And: In the Czech Republic, more than three out of four refugees work, while in Switzerland more than three out of four are unemployed. The bottom line is that the Ukrainian refugees cost the Czech state less than they paid in taxes, says President Pavel.
Different way of dealing with refugees
Where do these big differences between the two countries come from? Pavel mentions that a large Ukrainian community had already lived in the Czech Republic before the war. That’s why integration has been easier since the war. Language and culture are also closer. And he suspects that the Swiss social system is too generous and therefore the incentives to work are too small.
Petr Pavel also took part in the Bürgenstock Conference for Peace in Ukraine in June. Here with Federal President Viola Amherd and Ukrainian President Volodimir Selenski.
Keystone/Alessandro della Valle
What both countries have in common, however, is the shortage of skilled workers. And Ukrainians in Switzerland often have a good education. A third have a good command of English, over half have a higher professional qualification and a quarter of these are engineers or IT specialists. Nevertheless, only a few are in the Swiss labor market.
Doubts about protection through neutrality
In an unprecedented global action, the Czech Republic has procured artillery ammunition for Ukraine. Standing on the sidelines and hoping that you will be spared is not a promising option for President Pavel. He emphasizes that Russia does not see itself as a state, but as its own civilization in the fight against the decadent West.
Our enemies do not differentiate between NATO, the EU or neutral states.
In the world there is a battle between autocracies and democracies. «Our enemies do not differentiate between NATO, the EU or neutral states. For them, all democracies are in the same boat.” Switzerland is already a victim of cyber attacks and must consider “whether neutrality will continue to successfully protect the country in the future,” said Pavel.
The once highest-ranking general in NATO has a particular opinion on the debate about what percentage of the gross domestic product is necessary for defense. Each country must evaluate what equipment is necessary in a national context or as part of a military alliance. “One and a half percent may be enough for a country. But for someone else, three percent is too little.”
But one thing is clear to Pavel: Russia wants to be respected. And not within the framework of mutual cooperation, “but based on fear”. It is important to prepare for this.
Switzerland took many in 1968 Czechoslovakians on
There are close and emotional relationships between the Czech Republic and Switzerland. When the Warsaw Pact troops invaded what was then Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1968 and put an end to the so-called Prague Spring, there was a large solidarity movement throughout Switzerland – across party and generational boundaries.
In 1968, no country in Europe took in more refugees from Czechoslovakia than Switzerland.
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