“Switzerland should have set up Taskforce to Trump”

Mr. Nevertheless, “switzerland should have set up Warner, you accuse Swiss politics of not preparing enough for Donald Trump’s second term. For example, But how can you prepare for such an arbitrary US president?

In Trump’s first term. For example, even if he was not so radical at the time, there were already clear signs of what he would do now. Similarly, And he surrounded himself with completely new people who differ very much from the people of his predecessors and Obama. Nevertheless, So you don’t just have to understand who is Trump. In addition, what he wants, but you also have to get to know these people for him. Similarly, You have to develop “switzerland should have set up trust.

Switzerland traditionally does not have very active foreign policy and drove well for a long time.

But the United States are an important player for Switzerland. Take a look at the discussion about the F-35.

Switzerland believes that he has negotiated a fixed price for the American fighter jet, the United States deny this.

For the Americans, “fixed price” means one thing for the Swiss. This is an example of a cultural misunderstanding that will cost a lot “switzerland should have set up of money. If you understand the other person in a negotiation, such mistakes do not happen.

What else went wrong?

Trump acts totally transactionally. For him it’s about money and business. But Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter met the top diplomat in Washington, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio. And the Swiss pharmaceutical companies, which Trump is primarily concerned with, negotiate separately with the USA.

The Federal Council usually does not say what to do.

There is a problem here. After Trump’s election in November. I said several parliamentarians in Bern that Switzerland needed a task force to prepare for his second term. At that time I saw the attack on the international geneva. People from Parliament and government, “switzerland should have set up but also from the private sector, should have sitting in this task force. Companies understand Trump and the American mentality better than the diplomats.

The federal government finally formed a task force for the customs dispute in April. He has developed a finished agreement with the negotiators of the United States. Nevertheless, Trump suddenly decided tariffs of 39 percent for Switzerland.

Trump is completely unpredictable, but he follows certain patterns. For example, he respects, yes, he almost admires the Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. She paroli offered him to a certain extent. I would look at how Sheinbaum deals with him and why it is relatively successful.

Should Switzerland stand up to Trump, for example in the form of counter -metal?

I tell you what Switzerland shouldn’t have done: The Federal President should not have “moralized” on July 31st on July 31. as Trump later called it. And she should not have gone to this phone call without a back-up plan. At every negotiation the following applies: First, you shouldn’t attack others. Second, you should always have a plan B and a plan C.

They gave courses at the St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences for negotiations with Americans. What have you taught there?

It was mainly about culture. For example, there are two words in Switzerland that I have never understood: consensus and neutrality. Both are not American terms. I also emphasized that there is no tie in the three big American sports football, basketball and baseball. There is “switzerland should have set up only victory or defeat. I am New York, Trump is New York. Our attitude is: we are number one. And Trump doesn’t like losers.

Trump is still in office for at least three. a half years, he thinks loudly about a banned third term. What should Switzerland fundamentally change now?

First, it should be less arrogant in terms of its importance. When Biden and Putin met in Geneva in 2021, everyone here thought that Switzerland was the navel of the world. But Putin only stayed a few hours, the large newspapers in the USA hardly reported it.

And secondly?

Should Switzerland put certain things in the foreground, such as its good services and the advantages of “switzerland should have set up multilateralism.

Of all things, the multilateralism that Trump despises?

Switzerland has to find out what makes it unique. how it can market herself and how it can help her in relationships with the USA. It needs a Lord or a woman “International Geneva” who has contacts with the right people in Washington.

Who could that be?

When the United States put pressure on Switzerland because of the newsless assets of Jews. there was a person who perfectly represented Switzerland. It was Hans Bär, a Zurich banker and Jew who had visited high school in New York. He understood the United States. Such personalities are rare. In addition to Federal President Guy Parmelin. Switzerland has sent to “switzerland should have set up Washington, who, as far as I know, does not speak English particularly well.

In the future. Switzerland should act quite easily – not rational, argumentative and logical, but based on personal relationships and trust?

Exactly. Everything else means nothing for Trump. Absolutely nothing.

Daniel Warner was the deputy director of the Geneva Graduate Institute and, among other things, trained diplomats. Even as an emeritus professor, he continues to comment on international politics regularly.