Amid rising geopolitical tensions, Pälvi Pulli, Ambassador and Deputy State Secretary discusses in an interview with KPMG’s Prof. Dr. Reto Eberle, Swiss security policy challenges, including critical infrastructure protection, neutrality, strategic autonomy, international cooperation, and crisis response.
Below you will find some selected questions from the interview. To download the full interview, please scroll down. We wish you a thought-provoking read.
Reto Eberle: What is your role as Head of Strategy and Cooperation at the State Secretariat for Security Policy?
Pälvi Pulli: We continuously analyze security policy developments and use this information to develop policy options – in close collaboration with other departments and the cantons. Our task is to make well-founded and prudent proposals. It is ultimately up to politicians to set priorities, including how to invest financial resources.
Finland and then Sweden recently joined NATO. Is this also something you can imagine for Switzerland?
Not at the moment. Switzerland has a different historical context than Finland or Sweden, and our position is favorable. Swiss neutrality is enshrined in international law and does not allow us to provide military support for warring parties. Cooperation with international partners is permitted as long as it does not create dependencies. Joining NATO would not be compatible with neutrality. The application of neutrality – for example in the context of re-exporting military goods – is now at the heart of the security policy debate, as there is room for maneuver here.
Where will Switzerland stand on the issue of neutrality in ten years’ time?
That depends heavily on how the situation develops – in particular the course of the war in Ukraine and the actions of major powers, including Russia. If the security situation were to deteriorate massively, then Switzerland might also have to rethink its position. For the foreseeable future, neutrality offers the necessary room for maneuver – including emergency preparedness.
How do global trends such as climate change, polarization or economic dependencies affect security policy?
In many ways. Economic dependencies are becoming increasingly intertwined with security; they can be used to exert pressure, for example by trying to cut off competitors’ access to critical goods. Growing polarization is reflected in international tensions on the one hand and domestic political developments on the other. Climate change is exacerbating natural disasters and fueling conflicts. These developments sometimes occur rapidly and can be interconnected, increasing the pressure to act. This is a challenge for us, especially as decisions in Switzerland are well-founded and taken after extensive preparation.
Interview with Ambassador Pälvi Pulli, Deputy State Secretary in the State Secretariat for Security Policy.
