Saturday conversation ranges from New York to China

Councilor of States Matthias Michel looked back on the winter session and gave insights into everyday life in Bundesbern.

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The Saturday talks of Councilor of States Matthias Michel are already a tradition: For the eighth time he invited direct dialogues, this time online as a precaution. This exchange is public. Once again, people outside of his main party, the FDP, took part.

The discussion focused on Switzerland’s planned membership in the UN Security Council, Switzerland’s political stance towards China and developments in genetic engineering.

Switzerland brings strengths to the Security Council

Matthias Michel spent a few days in New York with a delegation from the Foreign Affairs Commission. He had the opportunity to speak to representatives of the Swiss Mission and many UN member countries. The focus was on the Security Council and the importance of membership in it. Council of States Michel reported on this exchange of experiences with a view to Switzerland’s participation in the Security Council in 2023/24. Michel was convinced: “Switzerland can play an important role in the Security Council – precisely because of our credibility as a neutral state with its good offices and its humanitarian tradition.” This is important because the UN advocates the same values ​​around the world as Switzerland.

China was also an issue repeatedly in the Council of States: Parliament has definitely discovered the challenges of this economic and increasingly political superpower. For example, it is a matter of demanding universally applicable human rights against China as well. Conversely, mutual trade is important; Swiss consumers and employees benefit from this. As a smaller place, but valued worldwide as a place of diplomatic exchange, Switzerland has to develop its own position here. This is part of the Federal Council’s China strategy. According to Michel, the Council of States, this is to be supported without the Parliament prescribing to the Federal Council in detail how to conduct its negotiations.

Make a contribution to genetic engineering

After 15 years of moratorium, politicians are faced with the decision to continue to prevent the development of genetic engineering or to allow certain steps to be taken. It is no longer about the conventional genetic engineering in question, which works with foreign genetic material, but about new processes that are only to be made possible to a limited extent with the own DNA of a plant variety. Council of States Michel explains this proposal by the Council of States and supports it: “Elsewhere in the world there is happily further research, application and marketing. That is why Switzerland, with its excellent research and safety, should make its contribution here: In the interests of future food security, ”he says. Finally, genetic engineering enables the use of pesticides to be drastically reduced and the self-sufficiency advocated by the Swiss people to be strengthened. In the discussion it becomes clear that more information is needed for consumers in order to recognize the functionality, opportunities and risks of the new genetic engineering methods. Ultimately, it is the choice of the consumer which products are preferred.

For the FDP Zug: Marc Reinhardt

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