Just One of the Gang

Ever since disgruntled citizens of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden swore their nation’s founding oath of confederation in 1291, Switzerland has reveled in remaining an Alpine stronghold, happily cut off from political and economic turmoil in the world’s lower realms. Fear of weakening the country’s vaunted neutrality, independence and grass-roots democracy has kept Switzerland out of nato, the European Union and almost every other political alliance dreamed up by the world’s multilateralists. That could change this weekend, when voters decide whether the country should finally join an organization it has hosted for 55 years: the United Nations. If the vote is positive, the only bona fide state in the world left outside the U.N. will be the Vatican.

The referendum comes a year after a large majority of Swiss turned down a proposal to start negotiating to join the European Union. But the federal government — which has been pushing for a “yes to the U.N.” vote — is hoping last year’s result is not an omen. Indeed, it notes that being a U.N. member is a far simpler matter than joining the E.U. And a “no” vote, proponents say, would shut Switzerland out of global decision making and undercut its role as a diplomatic mediator. “In a world where image is very important, we would be seen as selfish and arrogant,” says Franois Nordmann, the Swiss ambassador to international organizations. “It’s time to have our say, to take responsibility, to share the burden carried by other nations.”

The government has a natural ally in U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who said on Swiss television this month that he would be “extremely disappointed” if the initiative were defeated. He pointed out the obvious paradox that Geneva is home to the U.N.’s European branch, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Trade Organization and two dozen lesser-known entities. “Can Switzerland really stay on the sidelines of the global community?” he asked.

Some here say the country not only can stay out but should. The populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP), a longtime proponent of isolationism that has a strong following in some rural areas, argues that U.N. membership would jeopardize Switzerland’s cherished neutrality, sovereignty and democracy and turn it into a lackey of bigger, more powerful nations. As a member state, the party warns, Switzerland could be forced by the Security Council to take part in international sanctions and military actions. “We would also lose the right to have our own foreign policy and diplomatic relations,” says Ulrich Schlüer, an SVP parliamentarian, apparently overlooking the fact that the foreign policies of current members such as the United States and Iraq have yet to converge. Lurking behind his party’s opposition is the deeper fear that joining the U.N. would be a stalking horse for full European integration. After last year’s defeat at the polls, however, the government has no plans to relaunch the E.U. initiative in the near future, though ministers have suggested this is not the end of the issue.

Opponents also point out that as a U.N. member Switzerland would have to pay an additional $42 million in annual dues, on top of $290 million it already donates to international organizations. The Swiss government counters that the money is well spent, since U.N. agencies based in Geneva boost the local economy with an estimated $1.7 billion in annual spending.

The campaign has polarized the usually dispassionate Swiss, and the issue is fueling heated debates on street corners, in offices and on newspaper op-ed pages. “We have been so successful for so long, why join an ineffective organization?” one Geneva reader asks.

How is it Switzerland never joined before? When the organization first came to Geneva in 1946, postwar fear of communism was rife and the cautious Swiss decided to stay outside. In a 1986 referendum, 76% of voters rejected membership; distrust of the Soviets, as well as political squabbles between superpowers, was blamed for the defeat. Today, Nordmann says, “the international environment is different and the U.N is different. We can no longer hide behind the shield of neutrality.”

The latest polls show U.N. supporters with a big lead. Last June voters approved a controversial initiative allowing Swiss troops on peacekeeping missions to carry weapons, despite SVP’s cries that such a move would compromise the country’s neutrality. The government is hoping the same open-minded attitude will lead to a “yes” vote on March 3. “If it doesn’t,” Nordmann says, “the world would not understand why we insist on keeping our head buried in the sand.” Given Switzerland’s geography, that is particularly hard to do.