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A Special International Report
Prepared by
The Washington Times
Advertising Department - Published on January 20, 2000
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Advertisers (1) diAx
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Once a land of poor farmers, Switzerland is now an economic leader The picturesque image of watches, music boxes, chocolate, cheese, snowy mountains, skiing, and alpenhorns has been overtaken by industries that excel in pharmaceuticals, ultramodern precision manufacturing, and by a banking and financial services sector which ranks among the best in the world. Even Heidi has gone to Hollywood.
This small confederation of 26 largely self-governing states, which had always used its mountain barriers to distance itself from the continent, is now on the brink of joining the now-united Europe. But certain points need to be worked out.
Movement toward the formation of a joint European Army may indeed endanger the country's possible membership in the European Union. Many are adamant that Switzerland should not place its neutrality in jeopardy by participating in the E.U. under these conditions; neither will the country join NATO.
Opinions on the E.U. are roughly divided by language groups. The minority French-speaking Romands and Italian-speaking Tecinois are wholeheartedly for, and the majority Swiss Germans are much more reserved.
Whatever the result of a referendum, it is questionable whether the legendary independence and stubbornness of the Swiss, who are used to holding frequent "votations" on all and every subject called for by a small number of petitioners, will let them stay in a giant European state which delegates most decisions to Brussels.
And many are the people who think that Switzerland has more to gain in staying outside the E.U., retaining its fiscal advantages and acting as an island of freedom in a sea of red tape.
What the country does not want is to be a haven for unwanted immigrants. Out of the goodness of its heart, it has welcomed immigrants from most of the world's recent trouble spots and then found it difficult to send them back. Some immigrants have to be forcibly put on aircraft and there have been cases of them taking control of the planes and forcing them to return to Switzerland. A recent newspaper report estimated that the cost to deport a refugee was $29,000. In the interests of economy the government has been giving $1,450 for each Kosovar refugee going home but the number of refugees disappearing from authorities has increased.
This country, which had to build its reputation for reliability and solidity and considered itself irreproachable, was shaken to the core when the world's press talked about vanished Holocaust funds and questioned the integrity of the Swiss banking system. Everyone agrees that the reaction was a long time in coming -- too long. Now the government and its bankers have taken measures to repair the damage and also install mechanisms for rapid response to criticism.
Some fundamental characteristics of the Swiss people are reserve, reliability and tolerance; characteristics that do not necessarily imply rapidity of action. Things move steadily in Switzerland, not rapidly. Trains, planes and trams leave and arrive on time. The Swiss are like the timepieces they make, advancing inexorably at a fixed rate.
Criminality is so far from the average Swiss mind - many never even lock their cars and their homes - that it has taken them a long time to install measures against money laundering and the misappropriated funds of former political figures.
Protection of individual rights in this state of 7 million citizens, who have probably the most direct access to government in the world, is based on traditions dating back for hundreds of years. Modesty and desire for privacy lead to banking confidentiality and numbered accounts. Now, many of the merits of this well-known system have been sacrificed to the need to safeguard the banking industry's reputation. Bankers have to know all about their clients and the provenance of their money - and even the bank's auditors check on these details. Previously only the banker himself knew the identity of the owner of a numbered account.
Switzerland is keen on attracting industry from the United States and many companies have successfully set up operations covering the whole of Europe, attracted by the skills and diligence of local employees as well as the favorable tax laws.
The Swiss have a high work ethic, are serious, but yet broadminded, hospitable and understanding.
With the riches have come humanitarian feelings, and Switzerland is at the top of the list of countries that give and work for charitable causes throughout the world. It was in Switzerland that the Red Cross started and, together with dozens of other nongovernmental organizations, has its international headquarters.
With the country's spirit of fairness and impartiality, it has also been a natural choice for the headquarters of many international sporting organizations, including those for soccer and the Olympics.
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Table of Contents (1) Once a land of poor
farmers, Switzerland is now an economic leader |
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ne of Europe's poorest countries 150 years ago and today arguably its richest, Switzerland has changed from a rural mountain economy into a thriving nation, driven by precision industry and financial expertise.