Find icitous our articles concerning the trade war launched by the United States
The Federal Council is hardly to envy in these agitated days. On all sides, he is given advice. Everyone has their miracle solution and believes that they should be done in the customs conflict with Donald Trump. But that’s exactly what we don’t need now. Switzerland should not seek to satisfy the whims of the American president with complacent tenders. Nor should she be trained in commercial countermeasures. The overall liberal order is already subject to strong pressures; No need to add our own contribution.
So what to do? Return to classical diplomacy. Its mission is to make the link between law and strength. It must push sovereign states to get closer by their free will. But the task is difficult. That one of the actors only put on force, and diplomacy will not be able to obtain anything. This is why we have always demanded a lot of fingering from diplomat. In addition to his intellectual capacities, he must have a good network and be loyal. What we don’t need is deceit. A diplomat always tells the truth, politely but firmly. As the Duke of Choiseul said, a great servant of State under Louis XV: “True finesse is the truth sometimes called with force, and always with grace.”