Sicherheit 2012 - Center for Security Studies (CSS) - ETH Zürich

Sicherheit 2012
expansion of the development aid is also supported more strongly. The marked
EU skepticism, as it could be observed in 2011, remains unaltered. In January 2012,
very low approval rates for an approach toward and an accession to the EU were
measured again. Yet, an absolute autonomy is declined.
Neutrality: Abolishing Swiss neutrality remains unthinkable: neutrality is supported
by 95% of the Swiss. Thus, the observed trend since January 2002 of an increasing
approval of the neutrality principle by the Swiss population remains. The
solidarity and identity functions of neutrality still experience very high support.
The security function of neutrality is also approved by a majority, albeit at a lower
level. Especially the credibility of armed neutrality is called into question critically.
Strategic culture: The principles of neutrality and direct democracy are substantial
components of the strategic culture of Switzerland. In contrast to a differential
understanding of neutrality, a more comprehensive, integral understanding of
neutrality, the way Switzerland practiced it during WWII and until the beginning
of the first Gulf War in 1991, finds again no majority in the Swiss population. Swiss
are predominantly convinced that ensuring internal peace is essential for the national
defense. Also, a majority of the respondents thinks that Switzerland as a small
state should enforce its interests against big nations with particular vehemence.
Furthermore, Swiss predominantly hold that the country’s defense is a civic duty,
which can be read as an expression of the approval for the militia system. In addition,
a majority of the electorate back a military autonomy. A slight majority takes
the view that the armed forces serve the cohesion of multilingual Switzerland. No
majority in the Swiss population holds convictions like a unilateral security political
guiding principle, the symbolic meaning of the armed forces as expression
of freedom and independence, the recruit school as an institution of “becoming a
man”, the armed forces’ deterrent function, as well as the probability of the threat
of war by another nation during the next ten years.
Armed forces: Three quarters of the Swiss population consider the armed forces
necessary. Compared to the previous year, the approval of the armed forces has
slightly decreased. By contrast, trust in the armed forces has increased significantly.
Thus, it is in the long-term average again. Satisfaction with the armed forces’ performance
has remained constant. While the pressure on the budget of defense to
cut costs decreased during both of the two previous years, in January 2012, more
respondents state again that the budget is exactly right the way it is. At that, it has to
be taken into account that nominally the armed forces are supposed to be attributed
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