Scrapbook for July

31.07.2025 – Swiss National Day

Tomorrow is the Swiss Federal Holiday. In recent years August 1st has been a cause for gloom on this website, despite my deep-seated affection for the Swiss nation. The gloom is particularly deep this year.

The European Union

Switzerland has to sort out its relationship with the European Union. Look at a map of Europe and you will see this little patch surrounded by nations of the EU. Most EU member states have at least a bit of border that counts as their own; Switzerland only has borders with other EU countries – the real borders are in the airports.

Before the EU was created, Switzerland used to rub along nicely with the other nations of Europe. The EU, however, seems to be offended by this little patch in the middle of its administrative homogeneity, this pothole in the smooth European road. It takes a masochistic pleasure in cracking the whip on whatever displeases it, be it the Swiss financial system, the Swiss restrictions on freedom of movement, the Swiss attempts to limit EU traffic along its roads and through its tunnels. As Britain found out, the EU is no one's friend. It covets and takes what it will and never gives back.

Yet another attempt at a cohabitation 'framework' has been hammered out and will be voted upon soon. Some Swiss patriots still dream of an independent, self-governing neutral Switzerland. Dream on – neutrality got thrown out of the window PDQ when Switzerland had to follow the EU and US directives over sanctions for Russia in the Ukraine conflict. What choice did they have?

Other Swiss patriots think the Swiss government should get the whole thing over with and just join the EU. Both administrations are expert-infested, woke consensus machines, so there really isn't that much difference between them. There is plenty of scope in the EU for horse trading and special pleading. What is certain, though, is that the orders will come down from Brussels whatever happens. Switzerland will always be a rule-taker, not a rule maker.

Swiss 'direct democracy' (a.k.a. referendums) is overrated – after a while no one will miss it. Politics is a process, but a referendum decision, however trifling the majority was – and they are often are very trifling – shuts down all further discussion on that subject for decades.

Switzerland alone

Now that Donald Trump has knocked over the NATO/EU chessboard, military defence has become a topic again after decades of slumber under the peace dividend.

From its inception in 1848 Switzerland has been rightly proud of the militia army behind its armed neutrality. But that was then. This is now and things have changed: Switzerland cannot possibly defend itself in a modern conflict. It can buy a few fighter aircraft (the which process has turned into an omnishambles, by the way), but it is simply too small to respond to the broad threat profile of a future conflict – missiles of all sorts, drone squadrons, stealth fighters and bombers, advanced tanks and artillery.

Deploying the army in various holes in the mountains as the Swiss did in WWII won't work anymore.

As already noted above, most other NATO/EU countries have an external border or a coastline. Switzerland is stuck between France, Germany, Austria and Italy. By the time the Russian tanks have rolled over the EU/NATO countries, what can plucky little Switzerland do? Perhaps it is time to dump neutrality and join NATO. In which case, the Swiss won't have to wait for the moment the enemy crosses their border.

Bring back government

The government of Switzerland has to send the expert-class – a.k.a. the lanyard-class – packing. The lack of strong personalities and serious thinkers in the Bundesrat, the Federal Council, has allowed the country to be taken over by fetishists and crazed activists. Because of this, Switzerland will be one of the last countries to give up the nonsensical and ruinous climate change orthodoxy. A lot of damage will be done before that happens.

The expertocracy that has nested in the back-offices behind the government is insidious and almost impregnable. Politicians who have made their careers climbing the greasy pole of political advancement are unfit to counter the expert class in their back-offices. No Federal Counsellor can withstand the back-office tyrants that keep them in line. The greatest praise that a Federal Counsellor can receive is that they are 'good with documents', that is, they signed promptly everything that was put before them and caused no trouble.

As in most western countries, conventional politics is the art of dancing ritual gavottes around the subjects of the day. What really matters, however, is what is happening in the back-offices. For example, in a very few years, you may find it difficult to buy meat and meat products in shops. The change is being introduced gradually by the fanatics in the back-offices who have learned the nudge techniques of the COVID panic. Major food retailers are being taken quietly aside and told to give preference within the space of a few years to non-meat products. Or else.

Well, let's hope the Swiss have a nice day tomorrow despite everything. Where I live the storm clouds will be unloading their rain and discharging their electricity from the afternoon onwards. Which may be a metaphor, an omen, a warning, or some other figure of speech. We shall see.