Swiss Foreign Policy

Swiss Foreign Policy provides in-depth insights into the procedures and constraints of Swiss foreign policy, answering questions such as: * Why is Switzerland not a member of the European Union? * What are the implications of staying apart and how important is neutrality in today's Europe? * What are the implications of federalism and direct democracy on foreign policy? * How should conflicting interests in foreign policy decision-making be dealt with? The book is essential reading to all those interested in foreign policy analysis, the relationship between democracy and international relations, the significance of being a small state in contemporary Europe and the specificities of the Swiss political system.

Laurent Goetschel is Professor of Political Science at the University of Basel and Director of the Swiss Peace Foundation in Berne. His research interests include European integration, foreign policy analysis and peace and conflict research. He has published widely on Swiss foreign policy. Magdalena Bernath is scientific collaborator for the Swiss Political Yearbook (Année politique suisse) specialising on elections, parties, financial and spatial planning policy. Daniel Schwarz currently works for the'politools' political research network in Berne, specializing in e-democracy projects.

List of illustrations and Tables Abbreviations Introduction 1. Theoretical Bases 2. Institutions and Decision-Making Processes 3. Policy Fields Conclusions