Switzerland Between the Fronts: An Analysis of Switzerland’s Intermediary Role as a Protecting Power

Switzerland follows a century long tradition of promoting peace and building bridges. Accordingly, an entire part of Switzerland’s foreign policy is dedicated to its so-called ‘good offices’. The most prestigious of Switzerland’s good offices is the representation of foreign interests within its protecting power mandates, with the aim to maintain at least basic diplomatic contacts between states that have broken their diplomatic relations. For many decades, Switzerland has served as such an intermediary in international conflicts despite the continuously changing international environment and has declared that it will continue to do so in the future. This thesis examines the reasons for Switzerland’s continuous engagement as a protecting power by means of the approaches of national role conceptions and small state foreign policy. A special focus is laid on Switzerland’s most comprehensive protecting power mandate for the United States in Iran since their break of diplomatic relations in 1979/1980. Thereby it becomes clear that Switzerland’s vast experience as a protecting power results in certain expectations towards its role on an international level and is strongly supported on a national level. Further, Switzerland’s role as a protecting power is beneficial in terms of increasing a small state’s influence on the international level.