Mr Zelensky with video message in the Federal Assembly during the summer session

by Suzette Sandoz,* Lausanne

(16 May 2023) This news, the subject of a press release dated 5 May 2023 and mentioned by the French-speaking Swiss television RTS in the evening journal, makes one wonder and deserves an open discussion. However, it seems to have gone almost unnoticed.

The decision-making process

The press release states: “The Ukrainian Embassy in Switzerland has submitted an official request to the Federal Assembly for a video address by President Zelensky to the Swiss Parliament. The decision on this request rests with the bureaus of the National Council and the Council of States. At their meeting today, they decided to comply with the request. The video address is to take place during the summer session. The exact date will be fixed in consultation with Ukraine. [...]”

Some sensitive issues

• It is perfectly normal for Parliament to decide who, apart from its members and the Federal Council, may officially address Parliament. However, to approve a statement of a head of state, must it not first discuss it with the Federal Council?
• If this head of state is the head of a belligerent state, which inevitably raises the question of neutrality, are we not dealing with a genuine foreign policy and diplomatic problem that is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Council and not of Parliament? What is the opinion of the Federal Council on this issue?
• Isn’t it precisely in the summer session that Parliament will be discussing the War Material Act and, in particular, the problem of re-exporting Swiss weapons and ammunition? I have not yet found the list of parliamentary business for the summer session, but if this is the case, it would of course be inadmissible for Mr Zelensky to intervene on this very issue and in view of the parliamentary debates.

Conclusion

The decision of the two bureaus of the National Council and the Council of States to invite a directly interested head of state to their debates is extremely disturbing and a public discussion or at least a statement from the Federal Council on this issue would be welcome.

* Suzette Sandoz was born in 1942. She is an honorary professor of family and inheritance law, a former member of the Grand Council of the canton of Vaud and a former member of the Swiss National Council.

Source: https://blogs.letemps.ch/suzette-sandoz/2023/05/07/m-zelensky-en-video-a-lassemblee-federale-lors-de-la-session-dete, 7 May 2023

(Translation “Swiss Standpoint”)