Book Review: Der Beitritt der Schweiz zur Europäischen Union, Brennpunkte und Auswirkungen. L'Adhésion de la Suisse à l'Union Européenne, Enjeux et Conséquences
| Author | Yvonne Schwab |
| DOI | 10.1177/1023263X9900600405 |
| Published date | 01 December 1999 |
| Date | 01 December 1999 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
Boo k Re vie ws
Th omas Cott ier and A lwi n R. K ops e (ed s), D er B eitritt der Schweiz z ur
Europ äischen Union, Brennpunkte und Auswirkungen. L ’Adhésion de la
Suisse à l ’Union Européenne, Enjeux e t Conséquences, Sc hul thes s 19 98,
12 67 pa ge s, ha rdba ck, C HF 14 8.
§ 1 . H isto rica l Intro duction
Despite th e fact that Switzerland lies in the heart of Europe and one h alf of the Swiss
gross domestic product is earned abroad, Switzerland is still absent from major political
decision-making bodies such as the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).
In sp ite of a clear tendency towards encapsulation and conscious political abstinence,
Switzerland has never cherished a ‘splendid isolation’ posit ion. Since ancient times,
Switzerland has been at the crossroads o f trade in Europe. With its small domestic
market it is heavily dependent on export markets, and with its near total absence of
mineral resources it has always relied on imports of many ki nds. Trade was not only
a source of wealth but also of new ideas and foreign influences. Even today,
Switzerland’s international ties have a decisive influence on its prosp erity. Th e
European Union is by far th e most important economic part ner o f Switzerland and
roughly two-thirds o f Swiss foreign trade is with EU Member Countries.
Swiss foreign and integration policy has been dominated by the primacy given to
neutrality. Neutrality was self-imposed after the battle of Marignano in 1515 because
it was believed that further involvement in international conflicts would require a strong
centralized pow er in Switzerland, and thus run contrary to its federal structure. From
its very beginning, Swiss neutrality has been an armed neutralit y. After 300 years of
de fac to observance, Switzerland’s everlasting neutrality and its international borders
were formally recognized by the European powers at the Congress of Vienna i n 1815.
Subsequently, neutrality became part of the Con stitution in 1848.
At t he end of World War II, Swiss industry and Swiss cities were virtually the only
ones in Europe that remained intact and the casualities among Swiss citizens were
6 MJ 4 (1 999) 397
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