Switzerland's Unofficial G7 Duty

When the leaders of the world's major industrialised nations convene, a certain amount of disruption is expected. When they meet in France, on the shores of Lake Geneva, it apparently requires the army of a non-member state to keep the peace. Switzerland is mobilising around 4,000 soldiers to provide security assistance for the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, a deployment approved by both the Federal Council and Parliament.

The official term for this is an 'assistance service' for the cantons of Geneva, Vaud, and Wallis. In practice, it means the Swiss military will be guarding sensitive installations, including Geneva's airport, monitoring the border, and supporting authorities on the lake. The Swiss Air Force will also step up its policing activities, coordinating with international partners to enforce airspace restrictions. It is a comprehensive security operation on Swiss soil for an event that is not its own.

Of course, no one mentions the underlying reasons too loudly, but memories in the region are long. The last time this summit, then as the G8, was held in Évian in 2003, the result was severe rioting and property damage, not in France, but in Geneva and Lausanne. It seems Switzerland has learned its lesson and is taking no chances this time. The deployment is a preventative measure, a pragmatic recognition that such gatherings often attract violent protest, the consequences of which tend to spill across borders.

To this end, the federal government has also authorised the reintroduction of border controls for the duration of the summit. This will permit police and customs officials to conduct checks without specific cause and to close border crossings as needed. While the army's role is strictly limited to support and explicitly excludes public order enforcement—a task left to the cantons—its presence sends a clear signal.

The government assures the public that the deployment will generate only minor additional costs, as the units involved are merely conducting their regular refresher courses. This may be a convenient piece of accounting, but it also highlights the efficiency of the Swiss militia system. While France hosts the political theatre, Switzerland provides the quiet, organised security that makes it possible. One is left to wonder what it says about the state of affairs when a gathering of global powers requires a neighbouring country to deploy its military to protect itself from the anticipated chaos.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com