Summary

Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider opened the exhibition «We and War» at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich on April 16, 2026. In her speech, she emphasizes that wars profoundly affect neutral Switzerland in economics, society, and culture – contrary to the widespread myth of immunity. She points to the Russian attack on Ukraine (lasting over 1500 days), global conflicts in Iran, Lebanon, Myanmar, Congo, and Sudan, as well as historical Swiss examples such as mercenary service and the General Strike of 1918. A key focus is on the situation of women in wars: 650 million women live in conflict zones, and sexual violence has increased by 87 percent.

Persons

  • Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (Federal Councillor, Switzerland)
  • Simone Weil (Philosopher)
  • Carl Spitteler (Swiss writer, Nobel Prize laureate)

Topics

  • Swiss neutrality and war reality
  • Women's rights in conflicts
  • Multilateralism and peace policy
  • Historical Swiss participation in wars
  • Global conflict landscape 2026

Clarus Lead

The speech marks a paradigm shift in Swiss self-perception: while Switzerland traditionally understands itself as a peaceful haven amid war-torn regions, Baume-Schneider argues that this protective shield has become illusory. Highly globalized Switzerland – with commodity trading hubs in Geneva and Zug – profits economically from wars, while simultaneously accepting refugees and acting in multilateral institutions. This contradiction demands a redefinition of neutrality: not as passivity, but as active commitment to peace in a fragmented world order.

Detailed Summary

The exhibition and Baume-Schneider's speech present the historical continuity of war consequences in Switzerland. During World War I, emotional division along language lines – German-speaking Switzerland identifying with Germany, the Romandy with France – led to existential cohesion crises. Carl Spitteler warned at the time of the country being torn apart. The General Strike of 1918 was a direct consequence of war-induced social tensions. Historically, mercenary service was the most important export industry of the Old Swiss Confederation – a direct war business.

Today this entanglement manifests differently. The Ukraine war has led to refugee admissions (Status S), while at the same time commodity traders in Switzerland profit from war-driven commodity prices, whose taxes support public finances. This shows that the dichotomy «peaceful Switzerland – warring world» is analytically untenable.

A central focus is on gender-specific war consequences. The 2025 UN report on the «Women, Peace and Security» agenda documents that over 650 million women live within 50 kilometers of deadly conflicts. Civilian casualties among women and children have quadrupled in two years; sexual violence has increased by 87 percent. UN Resolution 1325 – which was meant to promote women's participation in conflict prevention and reconstruction – is undermined in many conflicts by systematized sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Baume-Schneider's peace approach connects three levels: strengthening multilateral order (OSCE presidency 2026, UN, Council of Europe), conflict mediation, and development cooperation as peace policy. She argues that poverty, lack of perspective, and inequality are conflict causes that must be addressed structurally – not only when weapons fall silent, but where people are heard and life opportunities emerge.

Key Messages

  • War consequences penetrate neutral Switzerland economically, socially, and culturally; the myth of immunity has become obsolete.
  • Women bear a disproportionate burden in modern wars: sexual violence is systematized; 650 million women live in conflict zones.
  • Swiss neutrality does not require passivity, but active peace engagement in multilateral institutions and conflict mediation.
  • Peace policy begins with addressing causes (poverty, inequality) and participation, not only at ceasefires.

Critical Questions

  1. Source Validity: The 2025 UN report on the «Women, Peace and Security» agenda is cited (650 million women, 87 percent increase in sexual violence). What data basis and verification methods underlie these figures, and how are they collected across different conflict regions?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: Baume-Schneider mentions «war-driven profits of commodity traders in Geneva, Zug and elsewhere, whose taxes support our public finances.» How transparently are these entanglements regulated, and what incentives exist for Switzerland to critically question this profit logic when it is fiscally dependent on it?

  3. Causality: The speech directly links poverty and lack of perspective to conflict causes. Are there counterexamples or contexts where economic development has not reduced conflicts or even intensified them?

  4. Feasibility: Switzerland holds the OSCE presidency in 2026. What concrete mechanisms or institutional reforms are being pursued to increase women's participation in conflict mediation – and how are resistances from conflict parties addressed?

  5. Historical Parallels: The speech draws parallels between language division in World War I and today's polarizations. Are these analogies sound, or do conflict dynamics differ fundamentally?

  6. Neutrality Definition: Baume-Schneider reinterprets neutrality as «duty to act.» How is this position communicated to states that understand Swiss neutrality as non-interference – particularly Russia?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Speech by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider at the opening of the exhibition «We and War» – Swiss National Museum Zurich, April 16, 2026 https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/z1HW36Y6EpyGtiHdmOaVm

Verification Status: ✓ 16.04.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 16.04.2026