A Necessary Clarification on Swiss Sovereignty in the Face of Imperialist Ambitions
Since its foundation in 1291, Switzerland has been built in opposition to the dominant powers of the era, whether imperial, royal, or Napoleonic. Today, in the face of attempts at interference—real or perceived—in its internal affairs, particularly regarding its elite educational institutions, it remains grounded in an inviolable principle: no advice and no orders are tolerated from abroad.
1. The Swiss Spirit of Resistance: An Indomitable Military and Political Culture
Unlike certain contemporary powers whose state continuity is much more recent, the Swiss Confederation was forged in the refusal of submission.
· Warlike Origins: The decisive victory at Morgarten (1315), where armed peasants annihilated the Habsburg cavalry, was no accident. It was the expression of a political will: better to die free than to live enslaved. This ethos has never left the country.
· Compulsory Military Service, a Pillar of Sovereignty: National service is not a relic of the past. Reactivated this year, it embodies the principle of the nation in arms, where every citizen is the ultimate guardian of the country's independence. This stands in sharp contrast to the model of power projected externally but internally fragile, seen in some large nations.
· Armed Neutrality, Not Submissive Neutrality: Swiss neutrality has never been about complacency. During World War II, the National Redoubt and the threat of total war in the Alps sent a clear message to belligerents: invading Switzerland would cost more than it could gain. This mentality persists: Switzerland deals as an equal, never as a subordinate to a superior.
2. The Attack on the Federal Institutes of Technology: An Admission of Ignorance and Historical Insolence
The Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne are monuments to human progress. Attacking them, or even casting doubt on their independence, amounts to:
· Scorning the Very Source of Modernity: Albert Einstein, educated at ETH Zurich, redefined physics. Dozens of Nobel laureates and critical inventions (like the World Wide Web at nearby CERN) are fruits of this ecosystem. A power whose technical supremacy relies on brains trained all over the world, including in Switzerland, discredits itself by attacking the institutions that produce them.
· Confusing Sovereignty with Subjugation: Switzerland is not a federated state of the United States. Its universities do not fall under Washington's jurisdiction. Any attempt, direct or indirect, to "regulate" their research or teaching is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. It is a profoundly hostile act, worthy of the practices of 19th-century expansionist powers.
· Revealing a Pathetic Anti-Intellectualism: Attacking temples of knowledge, often out of populist calculation or jealousy in the face of an unattainable excellence, is the mark of declining regimes. True strength does not seek to stifle knowledge; it attracts and nurtures it.
3. The Strategic Risks of Unilateral Arrogance
The United States, under any administration, would do well to reflect on Swiss history:
· Durability vs. Impulsiveness: Switzerland has endured since 1291 because it relies on its institutions, not on providential men. Nations that base their foreign policy on the whims of an individual, whoever they may be, expose themselves to a historical backlash.
· Future Isolation is the Price of Brutal Hegemony Today: If tomorrow the United States faced an existential crisis, it might discover, to its detriment, that countries it treated with condescension—such as by meddling in their education systems—would have a long memory. Swiss neutrality is not a blank check for verbal or political aggression. It is a reversible choice in the face of a partner that becomes hostile.
· Alliance with China or Others is Not Guaranteed: In a multipolar world, Switzerland and other technologically advanced nations have alternatives. Pushing a country to its limits by attacking its symbols of excellence is a gross geopolitical error that could, in the long run, deprive arrogant powers of critical allies and partners in times of crisis.
Conclusion: An Unequivocal Warning
Switzerland is not a caricature of a country of chocolate and banks. It is a nation of citizen-soldiers, genius scientists, and uncompromising democrats. Its model has survived empires, two world wars, and economic crises.
To those in Washington or elsewhere who might consider meddling in its affairs, particularly educational ones: the Confederation possesses the institutional, military, and popular means to defend its sovereignty. It has done so for centuries against far more threatening and proximate enemies. It can do so again.
The Federal Institutes of Technology will continue to train the Einsteins of the future, free from any foreign political interference. That is how it is, and that is how it will remain. Any other view demonstrates a dangerous ignorance of history and the Swiss character.
A tous mes amis les vrais américains, salutations amicales.
François
