The Union and the Disunion on the first of August
2 August 2020
Switzerland is a small country (the size of the Netherlands) in the middle of Europe.
The Swiss Confederation
The fascinating history and culture, direct democracy, economic, monetary, political, and multicultural accomplishments are often overlooked and neglected by other neighbouring European countries.
Switzerland, with its centuries of state-building (not always peaceful and neutral), has evolved into one of the most prosperous and democratic countries, a story that also encompasses the so-called European integration and the European Union.
The Swiss Confederation began in the thirteenth century with a loose network of more or less autonomous communities and cities in Central Switzerland.
Whether 1291 is the exact year (the oath of the communes (Orte) Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden) or a few decades later is irrelevant.
The Swiss parliament has designated August 1 as the day of the country’s foundation. No one questions the foundation of Rome by Romulus and Remus or Athens by the Goddess Athena, although all know it is just a legend or myth.
An increasing number of citizens are well aware of the democratic, economic, social and monetary fundamentals of their country.
European Union
They are critical towards the European Union and its often hasty and opportunistic (enlargement, political and monetary) projects. The ‘No’ vote of 50.3% in the 1992 referendum grew to more than 76% in 2001, which is still rising.
The Swiss government withdrew its application for EU membership in 2016, and around 85% of the citizens are expected to vote against membership in 2020.
The establishment calls it (too) often the populism of poorly informed and inward-looking citizens in the countryside.
One can also call it a good intuition, a brave attitude, a properly developed sense of (direct) democracy, good fatherhood, and well-founded realism to protect the country from the euro-populism, political opportunism, propaganda, and arbitrariness of the self-proclaimed Great Europeans.
This European Union resembles more and more a Non-Governmental Organisation, covering up national interests in the name of European unity, solidarity and peace.
Republican History
Switzerland and the Netherlands share a republican past (until 1813) of relatively independent provinces (the Netherlands) or Orte/cantons (Switzerland). Both countries are at the top of the annual list of countries of the United Nations and the OECD nowadays. There is one big difference, however.
Democracy.
It is called (direct) democracy. The Swiss political system is a bottom-up system; the Dutch system is a top-down system.
Referendum 2005
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The Dutch government introduced the referendum in 2005. More than 63% of the people voted. The elections for the European Parliament attract around 35% of voters, although these elections are neither European nor for a parliament nor representative. The policy of the EU and the Dutch establishment is, in any case, unavoidable.
Around 62% voted against further EU integration in 2005; the establishment ignored the outcome and abolished the referendum a few years later.
Birthday
Switzerland celebrates on the first of August, the first alliance of the three Orte (cantons). The congratulations go to the citizens. They are the politicians.
They made the right choices on the most challenging topics and in complicated (international) circumstances, with little luck, and sometimes helped by the international situation.
But they managed. Switzerland is a democratic, well-functioning Union with diversity in unity. The EU often means disunity by attempting to unify the impossible.