In an interview in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper published on Friday, Thurnherr criticised Switzerland’s observer stance when it comes to international affairs. Other countries use political arguments, while Switzerland approaches things from a legal perspective, he said.
Thurnherr said foreign policy is more than just “managing foreign relations, more than a few tweets a week”. He added that core issues are now regulated at the international level. The federal chancellor cited examples where Switzerland could be more proactive, such as digitalisation, financial and tax policy and climate change.
He told the paper that Switzerland imagined that it could observe crises without exposing itself to them, but it ended up becoming jittery. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine brought a realisation that other countries were not treating Switzerland with the respect it was used to, he said.
In future, the country will have to take a better interest in the affairs of other nations in order to identify crises earlier, he concluded.
The federal chancellor heads the Federal Chancellery in Bern, which plans and coordinates government business. Chancellors also take part in the weekly government meetings, where they have an advisory role. As the government’s chief of staff, they can mediate, coordinate, co-author reports, make proposals and even submit motions. Voting, however, is not possible.
The chancellor’s area of responsibility also oversees communication for the federal government as well as federal initiatives and referendums, and elections in the House of Representatives.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Legal action filed against Swiss purchase of Israeli drones
This content was published on
Legal action aims to put an end to the delivery of the six Elbit reconnaissance drones already plagued by delays and setbacks.
Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
This content was published on
The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.
Head of Swiss financial regulator’s Banks division quits
This content was published on
Thomas Hirschi, head of the Banks division of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA will leave at the end of August.
Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey
This content was published on
In a survey, the population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Respondents were less happy with politics and their personal finances, according to the online comparison service Moneyland.
WHO ‘extremely concerned’ about growing vaccination scepticism
This content was published on
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination scepticism and a collapse in funding for vaccination campaigns pose a major threat to the health of the world's population.
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.