Defense policy –
With Trump, what rapprochement between Switzerland and NATO?
The president-elect threatens to disengage the United States from the military organization. Experts deliver their analysis.
Published today at 1:05 p.m.
Viola Amherd would like to bring the Swiss army closer to NATO forces, but is currently encountering strong opposition.
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- Before Trump, former American presidents had already called for an increased European effort for NATO.
- Some countries are calling for the development of a defense more independent of the United States.
- Switzerland is debating a rapprochement with NATO, despite opposition.
“About NATO (editor’s note: North Atlantic Treaty Organization), what Donald Trump said is in line with the demands of his predecessors – Clinton, Bush and Obama, underlines Alexandre Vautravers, editor-in-chief of the “Swiss Military Review”. The idea that Europe must assume its “share of the burden” and finally honor its promises, i.e. 2% of GDP devoted to defense, has been a recurring demand for decades. Vice-President Kamala Harris, for her part, would probably have pursued a policy of interventionism and contraction of the military budget. Which would have presented European governments with the same reality: the obligation to assume the costs of their security.”
What has evolved with Trumpis to match this request with threats that he could well carry out. Seeing the United States completely abandon NATO seems “unrealistic”, explained this week on RTS Jacques Pitteloud, former ambassador to Washington who became head of the Swiss mission to NATO. But a certain degree of American disengagement, particularly from countries which do not pay, or not enough, to the Atlantic organization, remains possible. “Well before the outcome of the campaign, European governments had already taken into account this risk,” observes Alexandre Vautravers.
Any delay is paid in cash
Since the harsh promises of candidate Trump (“Plus a cent for Ukraine!”), some continental leaders, Emmanuel Macron or the Pole Donald Tusk in the lead, have called for a “European awakening”, for a new desire for EU to build a stronger and more independent military defense from the United States. But this antiphon is for the moment so pitifully declarative that it practically does not exist. And the historic alliance, born in 1949, remains essential.
For Switzerland, where the Federal Council and its minister Viola Amherd would like to see the country move closer to NATO, the election of Trump changes little for the moment. The National Council, last June, however, clearly opposed it, by 118 votes (UDC, PS) against 69 (PLR, Center, Vert’liberaux). But for René Schwok, honorary professor of European studies at the University of Geneva, the discussion must continue: “By threatening to leave NATO partially or completely, Trump played a pretty good trick. So yes, in the event of American disengagement, NATO would undoubtedly be less attractive for a country like Switzerland. But for the rest, the arguments in favor of rapprochement remain: benefiting from technology, particularly American technology, the joint purchase of arms, intelligence, etc..”
René Schwok: “In the event of American disengagement, NATO would undoubtedly be less attractive for a country like Switzerland. But for the rest, the arguments in favor of rapprochement remain.”
LMS
Alexandre Vautravers reminds us that any delay in these matters is paid for in cash: “The famous F-35 fighter jetsif we were to sign the purchase contract today, would cost twice as much and would not be delivered for years.”
Weak link
René Schwok also points out the absence of an alternative: “Some socialist deputies say they prefer that we move closer to the EU. Which is a bogus posture, since common defense does not exist. And hypocritical to boot, since the PS is at the same time trying to sabotage bilateral negotiations with the Union.”
In a recent column published in “Le Temps”, the professor finally underlined the risks for Switzerland of the solitary attitude: “Russia, knowing that Austria and Switzerland are not part of NATO, could benefit from it to send missiles through this corridor of neutral countries in order to take NATO from behind. Which would transform Switzerland into a battlefield, as the Benelux states were in 1940.” Switzerland is certainly surrounded by friends, but today it is a weak military link in Europe.
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Christophe Passerborn in Fribourg, has worked at Le Matin Dimanche since 2014, after having worked in particular at Le Nouveau Quotidien and L’Illustré. More info
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