AllGov - Nations

News

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Overview

Switzerland is a landlocked country located in the heart of Europe. Originally inhabited by Helvetic Celts, the country came under Roman rule for five centuries, becoming an important trading stop along Roman military roads. Germanic tribes invaded shortly after the decline of the Roman Empire, but ruled only briefly, before the area became part of Charlemagne’s kingdom. As Swiss families allied themselves for both peaceful co-existence and protection, they were able to defeat numerous invasions, including three from the Habsburg Empire of Austria. It became independent of the Holy Roman Empire in 1499, but soon stopped expansionist policies after defeats by the French and Venetians in 1515. Though the country’s three major religions were at odds throughout the Reformation, Switzerland managed to hold onto its confederate localities and remain neutral until Napoleon conquered and annexed much of the country between 1797 and 1798. Switzerland was governed by France until 1815, when the Congress of Vienna restored the old confederation of sovereign states and re-established neutrality. Switzerland became one of Europe’s most industrialized nations during the latter part of the 19th century, before committing itself again to neutrality during both World Wars. After the Second World War, Switzerland followed the economic model of the US, but shied away from joining international bodies. Although it hosted the UN’s European headquarters, Switzerland did not officially join the international organization until 2002. It is not a member of the European Union.

In July 2008, a US Senate subcommittee accused banks in Switzerland (UBS AG) and Lichtenstein (LGT group, owned by the royal family) of helping wealthy Americans evade paying billions of dollars in taxes. This was done by providing offshore tax havens around the world, and stood to cost US taxpayers around $100 billion per year. The IRS has said it will seek more stringent accounting policies for these banks, and the Senate subcommittee has also taken steps to develop more transparent disclosure policies. The Swiss government is working with the US Senate and the IRS. UBS has agreed to disclose the names of 4,450 individuals who have evaded taxes using secret overseas bank accounts. The IRS has created a new audit division in its Large and Mid-Size Business division especially to deal with the 4,450 cases.

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Basic Information

Lay of the Land: Europe’s backbone, watershed, and most mountainous country, landlocked in the heart of the continent. The mighty Alps, Europe’s largest mountain system, cover 60% of Switzerland. The Rhine, Rhone, and feeders of the Danube and Po originate in Switzerland.

Population: 7.6 million.

Religions: Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Hindu 0.3%, Buddhist 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, Baha’i 0.1%, non-religious 11.1%.

Ethnic Groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%.

Languages: Schwyzerdütsch 56.4%, German (official), French (official) 17.0%,, Lombard 4.0%, Italian (official) 2.6%, Romansch (official) 0.5%, Sinte Romani 0.2%, Walser 0.1%, Franco-Provençal 0.01%.

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History

The territory comprising modern day Switzerland was originally inhabited by Helvetians. These Helvetic Celts came under Roman rule during the Gallic Wars and remained part of the Roman Empire until the 4th century. Cities such as Geneva, Basel and Zurich became thriving trade destinations thanks to the roads linking them to Rome and the northern tribes.

When the Roman Empire declined, Germanic tribes invaded Switzerland from the north and west. Some of these invaders remained behind and established settlements. In 800, the country became part of Charlemagne’s empire, and later passed to the control of the Holy Roman emperors.

In the early 13th century, a north-south trade route was opened over the Alps. Rulers of the Roman Empire began to see the potential in the remote mountain valleys of Switzerland, and granted them some degree of autonomy. But when the Holy Roman Emperor died in 1291, the ruling families from Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden signed a charter to keep the peace. Pledging their mutual support, each family agreed to share administrative and judicial rule. The date of this agreement, August 1, is still celebrated as Switzerland’s National Day.

Between 1315 and 1388, the Swiss Confederates defeated the Habsburgs on three separate occasions in order to preserve their autonomy. Five other localities joined the Swiss Confederates, and the country continued to expand its borders through military means. Switzerland gained independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499.

In 1515, the Swiss Confederates were defeated by the French and Venetians near Milan, Italy, and went back on their expansionist policies. The Swiss Confederates was at that time comprised of 13 localities with a central governing body. When the Reformation took hold shortly thereafter, Protestants split with Calvinists in the German and French parts of the country, as well as the Catholics. But despite their differences over two centuries, common interests kept the Swiss Confederation from falling apart.

Switzerland managed to avoid many of the wars between European powers, which recognized Swiss neutrality in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. The Swiss remained neutral during the War of the First Coalition against revolutionary France, but Napoleon invaded anyway, and annexed much of the country between 1797 and 1798. He also replaced the loose confederation with a centrally governed state,

The Congress of Vienna in 1815 re-established the old confederation of sovereign states and re-established Switzerland’s permanent state of neutrality. In 1848, after a brief civil war between Protestant liberals seeking a centralized national state and Catholic conservatives devoted to maintaining the old order, the majority of Swiss citizens opted for a Federal State, modeled in part on the US Constitution.

In 1874, the Swiss constitution was amended to establish federal responsibility for defense, trade and legal matters. The country industrialized rapidly, and by 1850, it had become one of the most industrialized countries in Europe.

During World War I, internal conflicts between the German, French and Italian-speaking parts of the country developed, and Switzerland came close to changing its policy of neutrality. But the country managed to avoid any hostilities, and the postwar period was characterized by unrest in the employment sector and a general strike in 1918.

In 1937, employers and the largest trade union agreed to settle disputes, and during World War II, Switzerland was heavily pressured by the Fascists, especially after the fall of France in 1940. Troops completely surrounded the country, and political and economic leaders tried to appease the Nazis, allowing Switzerland to survive unscathed.

The Cold War offered Switzerland a way out of diplomatic isolation. Economically, the country followed the American-led model, but it was hesitant to join international bodies. Only after several decades did the country join the United Nations, though Geneva hosted the UN’s European headquarters.

In 1963, Switzerland joined the Council of Europe, but it still has not joined the European Union. During the early 1960s, Switzerland also helped form the European Free Trade Area, which did not strive for political union. Swiss women finally won the right to vote in 1971.

Switzerland joined the Bretton Woods institutions in 1992, and finally became a member of the United Nations in 2002.

History of Switzerland (Wikipedia)

Switzerland (Jewish Virtual Library)

History of Switzerland (History World)

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Switzerland's Newspapers

Switzerland’s Newspapers

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History of U.S. Relations with Switzerland

A number of individual Swiss were involved in the earliest colonization efforts in the United States, such as Theobald von Erlach, who was killed along with 900 French soldiers by the Spanish when their ship was wrecked by a hurricane in 1565. Some Swiss settled in the early Jamestown colony, while others settled later in South and North Carolina in colonies founded by Swiss pioneers.

About 25,000 Swiss settled in North America between 1710 and 1750, mainly in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. These included at least 4,000 Mennonites who sought a freer religious atmosphere in which to practice their beliefs. Swiss settlers continued to immigrate to frontier lands as they opened up, establishing communities across the Midwest.

Consular relations between the US and Switzerland were established in the late 1820s, and diplomatic relations followed in 1853. The US ambassador to Switzerland also is accredited to the Principality of Liechtenstein.

In the 1830s John August Sutter established New Helvetia in California, but his holdings were quickly overrun when the discovery of gold on his property sparked the 1848 Gold Rush. Annual immigration remained below a thousand until the 1850s, when it accelerated to about 2,000 per year.

The 1880s saw a massive influx of immigrants from all over Europe; approximately 8,200 Swiss arrived on America’s shores every year of that decade. Immigration slowed gradually leading up to World War I, and decreased drastically afterwards. The complete records for return migration are not available; however, the data from the 1920s shows that about 75% of Swiss men of military age eventually returned to the land of their birth.

Since the end of World War II, about 29,000 Swiss have immigrated to the US. Many of these recent immigrants were temporary migrants, working for American branches of Swiss multinational corporations.

The states with the largest Swiss populations are California (115,485), Pennsylvania (60,107), Ohio (70,302), Wisconsin (59,090), New York (38,721), and Illinois (37,505).

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Current U.S. Relations with Switzerland

Relations between the US and Switzerland are cooperative. The first four years of cooperation under the US-Swiss Joint Economic Commission (JEC) helped to strengthen ties by including consultations on anti-money laundering efforts, counter-terrorism, and pharmaceutical regulatory cooperation; an e-government conference; and the re-establishment of the Fulbright student/cultural exchange program. The United States and Switzerland signed three new agreements in 2006 that complement the JEC and deepen cooperation.

The first is the Enhanced Political Framework, signed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Swiss State Secretary Michael Ambuhl. The second is the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum, signed by US Trade Representative Robert Portman and Economics and Trade Minister Joseph Deiss. The last is the revised Operative Working Arrangement on Law Enforcement Cooperation on Counterterrorism, signed by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher.

In the 2000 US Census, 911,502 people identified themselves as being of Swiss ancestry.

In 2006, 725,497 Americans visited Switzerland. The number of tourists has increased overall since 2002, when 688,820 Americans traveled to Switzerland. However tourism declined sharply in 2003 and has only recently recovered.

In 2006, 270,571 Swiss visited the US. The number of Swiss traveling to the US has increased sporadically since 2002, when 253,940 Swiss came to America.

Switzerland – United States Relations (Wikipedia)

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Where Does the Money Flow

From 2003 to 2008, US imports from Switzerland included medicinal, dental and pharmaceutical preparations, increasing from $1.9 billion to $4 billion; jewelry watches, and rings, moving up from $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion; clocks, portable typewriters, and miscellaneous household goods, increasing from $566.2 million to $864 million; other industrial machinery, moving up from $488.8 million to $547 million; and electrical equipment, increasing from $407.5 million to $467million.

American imports from Switzerland on the decline included miscellaneous precious metals, falling from $178.1 million to $36.5 million; machine tools, metal working, molding and rolling, moving down from $434.4 million to $455 million; and pulp and paper machinery, declining from $345.8 million to $287.7 million.

Top American exports to Switzerland included nonmonetary gold, increasing from $2.7 billion to $8.5 billion; pharmaceutical preparations, moving up from $1.8 billion to $2.5 billion; gem diamonds, rising from $524.8 million to $888 million; and chemicals (organic), increasing from $106 million to $273.5 million. Exports of precious metals rose from $1.1 billion to $1.8 billion; and parts for civilian aircraft, increased from $316.6 million to $1 billion.

US exports to Switzerland on the decline included artwork, antiques, and stamps, decreasing from $1.8 billion to $1.5 billion

The US sold $271.3 million of defense articles and services to Switzerland in 2007.

The US does not give foreign aid to Switzerland.

Imports from Switzerland

Exports to Switzerland

Switzerland: Security Assistance

Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with Switzerland (US Census Bureau)

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Controversies

Switzerland’s Banks Accused of Aiding Tax Fraud

In July 2008, a US Senate subcommittee accused banks in Switzerland (UBS AG) and Lichtenstein (LGT group, owned by the royal family) of helping wealthy Americans evade paying billions of dollars in taxes. This was done by providing offshore tax havens around the world, and stood to cost US taxpayers around $100 billion per year. The IRS has said it will seek more stringent accounting policies for these banks, and the Senate subcommittee has also taken steps to develop more transparent disclosure policies. The Swiss government is working with the US Senate and the IRS. UBS has agreed to disclose the names of 4,450 individuals who have evaded taxes using secret overseas bank accounts. Tax evaders have been given the option to turn themselves in by September 23, 2009, in exchange for reduced penalties. The IRS has created a new audit division in its Large and Mid-Size Business division especially to deal with the 4,450 cases.

Senate: UBS, Liechtenstein aided US tax cheats (Associated Press)

Why Tax Havens Are a Blessing (by Daniel J. Mitchell, ForeignPolicy.com)

New Offshore Bank Limits for US Clients, UBS Says (by Bernie Becker, New York Times)

Senate: European Banks Helped Wealthy Americans Evade $100B in Taxes (Associated Press)

UBS to Give 4,450 Names to U.S. (by Carrick Mollenkamp, Laura Saunders, and Even Perez, Wall Street Journal)

IRS Corporate Audit Division Will Examine UBS Tax Evasion Cases (by Ryan J. Donmoyer, Bloomberg)

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Human Rights

Switzerland has generally not been found in violation of any major human rights issues. However, there are reports of societal abuse and discrimination against religious groups and women and violence by right-wing extremists.

Civil Rights

The Swiss government has generally respected citizens’ rights to freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and movement. The following are some reported cases of violations or contentions.

According to the State Department Human Rights Report, it is a crime in Switzerland to publish “secret official discussions.” In February 2007 a military court announced that it had indicted three journalists working for the weekly SonntagsBlick for publishing a diplomatic communication. The indictments were criticized by organizations committed to freedom of the press.

There were reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice, particularly those of Muslims and Jews. Such abuses include anti-Semitic slurs and graffiti or vandalism of Jewish property. According to the State Department Human Rights Report, “On February 12, an unknown assailant attacked a 60 year old Jewish man walking on a street in Zurich around noon. The victim was injured slightly but was able to fend off the attacker, who punched him and uttered anti Semitic slurs.” There have been complaints of discrimination against Islamic communities in some municipalities, who face difficulty in obtaining permits to build minarets, mosques, and Islamic cemeteries. Some employers also elect to prohibit headscarves in the workplace dress code.

Rights of Women and Children

The state has generally respected men and women’s equal rights, although it was not until 1971 that Swiss Women won the right to vote. Some laws discriminate against women. For example, the State Department reports, “the Federal Tribunal ruled that the primary wage earner in a divorce must be left with sufficient income to remain above the poverty level. Since the primary wage earner in most marriages was the man, if the household income was too low to support both parties, the wife and children could be forced to resort to public assistance. In June 2007 the Federal Commission for Women's Issues concluded that twice as many women as men fell below the poverty line following a divorce.”

Violence against women is a problem, and the state has mechanisms in place to combat against it. A 2003 international survey showed that almost 40% of women had suffered some sort of physical or sexual assault in their lifetimes, frequently at the hands of a former partner or an acquaintance; only one-third of the instances of physical violence and only 6% of sexual abuses were reported to police.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is illegal, but the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that “there were nearly 7,000 circumcised women and girls in the country as a result of immigration from areas where FGM is practiced.” UNICEF is working to raise awareness against this issue and providing medical support for circumcised women and girls.

Child abuse was a problem. A 2005 study by the University of Fribourg estimated that, nationwide, 13,000 children under the age of two-and-a-half had been slapped in the face by their parents at times and 1,700 had been occasionally struck with objects. Statistics on the extent of sexual violence against children were unavailable, but experts estimated that 20% of girls and 10% of boys under the age of 18 had been victims.

During 2007 the national cyber crime monitoring body, CYCOS, referred 278 instances of illegal child pornography to local prosecuting authorities. “In most cases the cantonal prosecuting office opened a criminal investigation, and such investigations usually led to the confiscation of illegal material.”

Right-Wing Extremists

Right-wing extremists, including skinheads, continued to be publicly active; police estimated that their numbers remained steady at approximately 1,200. The objects of right-wing hostility included foreigners, ethnic and religious minorities, and immigrants. In 2007, such attacks were recorded at 118 incidents. For example, in May 2007, a 43-year-old Angolan immigrant was attacked in his workplace in Zurich. His attackers inflicted severe injuries using a chainsaw as a weapon and “shouted statements against Africans” during their attack.

US State Department

Amnesty International

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Debate

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Past Ambassadors

Theodore S. Fay
Appointment: Jun 29, 1853
Presentation of Credentials: Presented recall, Jul 1, 1861
Note: Nominated Feb 25, 1856, to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.

George G. Fogg
Appointment: Mar 28, 1861
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 1, 1861
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Oct 16, 1865

George Harrington
Appointment: Jul 7, 1865
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 16, 1865
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jul 20, 1869
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 22, 1866.

Horace Rublee
Appointment: Apr 20, 1869
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 20, 1869
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Sep 7, 1876

Horace Rublee
Appointment: Aug 15, 1876
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 7, 1876
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 1, 1876

George Schneider
Appointment: May 1, 1877
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.

Nicholas Fish
Appointment: Jun 20, 1877
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 7, 1877
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Aug 24, 1881
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Oct 30, 1877.

Michael J. Cramer
Appointment: May 11, 1881
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 25, 1881
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Minister Resident/Consul General

Michael J. Cramer
Appointment: Jul 13, 1882
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 14, 1882
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jul 9, 1885

Boyd Winchester
Appointment: May 7, 1885
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 9, 1885
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, May 24, 1889
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 21, 1866.

John D. Washburn
Appointment: Mar 12, 1889
Presentation of Credentials: May 24, 1889
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

John D. Washburn
Appointment: Jul 30, 1890
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 13, 1890
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 10, 1892

Person C. Cheney
Appointment: Dec 13, 1892
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 26, 1893
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jan 29, 1893

James O. Broadhead
Appointment: Apr 7, 1893
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 5, 1893
Termination of Mission: Appointment terminated, Nov 1, 1895

John L. Peak
Appointment: Nov 18, 1895
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 15, 1896
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Aug 9, 1897
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 21, 1895.

John G.A. Leishman
Appointment: Jun 9, 1897
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 9, 1897
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Feb 20, 1901

Arthur S. Hardy
Appointment: Dec 20, 1900
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 3, 1901
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jan 29, 1903

Charles Page Bryan
Appointment: Sep 26, 1902
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Did not serve under either of the commissions issued to him.

Charles Page Bryan
Appointment: Dec 8, 1902
Note: Did not serve under either of the commissions issued to him.

David J. Hill
Appointment: Jan 7, 1903
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 24, 1903
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jul 1, 1905

Brutus J. Clay
Appointment: Mar 8, 1905
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 1, 1905
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Mar 1, 1910

Laurits S. Swenson
Appointment: Dec 21, 1909
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 1, 1910
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, May 15, 1911

Henry S. Boutell
Appointment: Apr 24, 1911
Presentation of Credentials: May 23, 1911
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jul 31, 1913

Pleasant A. Stovall
Appointment: Jun 21, 1913
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 23, 1913
Termination of Mission: Left post Dec 14, 1919

Hampson Gary
Appointment: Apr 7, 1920
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 3, 1920
Termination of Mission: Left post about Mar 4, 1921

Joseph C. Grew
Appointment: Sep 24, 1921
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 1, 1921
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 22, 1924

Hugh S. Gibson
Appointment: Mar 18, 1924
Presentation of Credentials: May 19, 1924
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Apr 29, 1927

Hugh R. Wilson
Appointment: Feb 26, 1927
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 11, 1927
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 8, 1937

Leland Harrison
Appointment: Jul 13, 1937
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 10, 1937
Termination of Mission: Left post Oct 14, 1947

John Carter Vincent
Appointment: Jul 24, 1947
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 21, 1947
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 9, 1951

Richard C. Patterson, Jr.
Appointment: Mar 22, 1951
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 27, 1951
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 14, 1953

Frances E. Willis
Appointment: Jul 20, 1953
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 9, 1953
Termination of Mission: Left post May 5, 1957

Henry J. Taylor
Appointment: May 9, 1957
Presentation of Credentials: May 31, 1957
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 28, 1961

Robert M. McKinney
Appointment: Jun 22, 1961
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 25, 1961
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 8, 1963

W. True Davis, Jr.
Appointment: Oct 2, 1963
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 29, 1963
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 3, 1965

John S. Hayes
Appointment: Sep 19, 1966
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 18, 1966
Termination of Mission: Left post May 20, 1969

Shelby Davis
Appointment: May 13, 1969
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 17, 1969
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 10, 1975

Peter H. Dominick
Appointment: Feb 20, 1975
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 25, 1975
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 10, 1975

Nathaniel Davis
Appointment: Nov 20, 1975
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 9, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 31, 1977

Marvin L. Warner
Appointment: Jul 11, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 13, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 10, 1979

Richard D. Vine
Appointment: Sep 20, 1979
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 19, 1979
Termination of Mission: Left post Sep 1, 1981

Faith Ryan Whittlesey
Appointment: Sep 28, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 23, 1981
Termination of Mission: Left post Feb 28, 1983

John Davis Lodge
Appointment: Mar 18, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: May 19, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 30, 1985

Faith Ryan Whittlesey
Appointment: Apr 4, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: May 31, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 14, 1988

Philip D. Winn
Appointment: Jul 11, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 19, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 5, 1989

Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn
Appointment: Aug 3, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 23, 1989
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 1, 1993

Note: The following officers served as Chargés d’Affaires ad interim 1993-1994: John E. Hall (Mar-Aug 1993), Brian M. Flora (Aug-Dec 1993), and Michael C. Plot (Dec 1993-Mar 1994)

M. Larry Lawrence
Appointment: Feb 9, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 21, 1994
Termination of Mission: Died at post Jan 9, 1996

Madeleine M. Kunin
Appointment: Aug 8, 1996
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 19, 1996
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 16, 1999
Note: Also accredited to Liechtenstein, Feb 10, 1997.

J. Richard Fredericks
Appointment: Oct 29, 1999
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 2, 1999
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 6, 2001
Note: Also accredited to Liechtenstein; resident at Bern.

Mercer Reynolds
Appointment: Aug 3, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 11, 2001
Termination of Mission: Left post Mar 29, 2003
Note: Also accredited to Liechtenstein; resident at Bern.

Pamela P. Willeford
Appointment: Oct 7, 2003
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 25, 2003
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 6, 2006
Note: Also accredited to Liechtenstein; resident at Bern.

Peter R. Coneway
Appointment: Jul 6, 2006
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 19, 2006
Termination of Mission:
Note: Also accredited to Liechtenstein; resident at Bern.

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Switzerland's Ambassador to the U.S.

Sager, Manuel

Manuel Sager, the ambassador of Switzerland since December 2010, is no stranger to the United States, having attended graduate school in North Carolina, worked as a lawyer in Arizona and held diplomatic posts in New York and Washington, DC.

Born in 1955 in Menziken in the canton of Aargau, Sager earned a doctorate from the law school of the University of Zurich. He later conducted postgraduate studies in the U.S., receiving a master’s of law degree from Duke University Law School.

In 1986, Sager passed the bar in the state of Arizona and worked as an associate attorney at the law firm of O’Connor, Cavanagh in Phoenix for two years, specializing in patent law.

In 1988, he began his career with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and was posted as a diplomat-in-training in Bern, Switzerland, and Athens, Greece.

From 1990-1995, he worked in the FDFA’s Directorate of International Law in Bern, and he headed the Division for Humanitarian Law 1993-1995.

He had his first diplomatic tour in the U.S. from 1995 to 1999, serving as deputy consul general in New York. He then shifted to the Swiss embassy in Washington, DC, to handle communications from 1999 to 2001.

Sager was head of the Coordination Office for Humanitarian Law for the Directorate of International Law from November 2001 to September 2002. For the next four months, he was head of communications for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, after which he moved on to the same position in the Federal Department of Economic Affairs.

From October 2005 to July 2008, Sager was an executive director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, in charge of nine countries, including those in the ex-Soviet Union. He then took over as head of the FDFA’s Political Affairs Division (2008-2010).

Sager met his American-born wife, Christine, at a youth hostel in Oregon in 1982 while both were travelling around the United States. They were married 11 months later.

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

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Switzerland's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.

Switzerland’s Embassy in the US

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Content

Table of Contents
News
Overview
Basic Information
History
Newspapers
History of U.S. Relations with Switzerland
Current U.S. Relations with Switzerland
Where Does the Money Flow
Controversies
Human Rights
Debate
Past Ambassadors
Ambassador to the U.S.
Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
Comments
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U.S. Embassy web site

U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland

McMullen, Ed

Just as presidents often reward major campaign donors with plum diplomatic posts, so too do they reward their political operatives. In the latter category is Ed McMullen, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next ambassador to Switzerland, with concurrent accreditation to Lichtenstein. A longtime politico, McMullen hopped on the Trump train early. In January 2015, he was one of five advisors to Trump’s exploratory committee, which became the Trump for President Campaign. McMullen was South Carolina chairman, a member of the transition team, and vice chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He has said of Trump, “The only other person who can hold a candle to him in terms of charisma is Ronald Reagan, and [Trump] has more charisma one on one.” On September 2, 2017, Trump rewarded him with an ambassadorial appointment.

Although McMullen said in December 2016 that he would not take a job in the Trump administration because he did not want to leave South Carolina for Washington, DC, apparently he feels differently about leaving Columbia for Bern. If confirmed by the Senate, he would succeed Suzan LeVine, who served from 2014 to the close of the Obama administration. LeVine had been a major fundraiser for Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Born in 1964 in New York, Edward Thomas McMullen Jr. grew up on Long Island Sound. In his youth, McMullen worked at his maternal grandfather’s New York advertising firm, The Cochran Company. He earned a B.A. in Political Science at Hampden-Sydney College in 1986.

After graduation, McMullen started his career as a conservative Republican politico at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, where he was director of development research from 1986 to 1989. He also briefly worked as vice president for development at the Free Congress Foundation, a DC-based group focused on fighting so-called “political correctness.”

McMullen moved to Columbia, South Carolina in 1989, where he worked for the South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC)—effectively a state-based affiliate of Heritage—until 2007, eventually becoming chair.

McMullen has ties to Switzerland. In 1995, the American Swiss Foundation selected him to participate in its “Young Leaders” program. McMullen attended a week-long Young Leaders Conference in Switzerland with others from Switzerland and the US, visiting government officials and politicians. He has since traveled in Switzerland many times.

While still at SCPC, McMullen founded his own advertising and public relations firm in 2005, McMullen Public Affairs, which has offices in Columbia, Charleston and Washington, DC. The firm specializes in representing Republican candidates and issues. McMullen has served as an advisor in several national presidential campaigns, including those of John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson, and statewide campaigns in Virginia and South Carolina.

At the same time he was serving on President Trump’s presidential transition, McMullen was also co-chairman of South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s transition team.

McMullen is married to Margaret Ann (Wade) McMullen, with whom he has two children, Thomas and Katherine. He has served as chairman of the National Alumni Association of Hampden-Sydney College.

-Matt Bewig

To Learn More:

Statement at Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Confirmation Hearing

SC Consultant Helped Steer Trump to Improbable Victory (by Bristow Marchant, The State)

Ed McMullen: South Carolina’s ‘Man of the Moment’ (by Charles W. Waring III, Charleston Mercury)

Previous U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland

Levine, Suzi

The U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Lichtenstein from May 2014 to January 2017 was Suzan LeVine, whose posting to Bern was a reward for her fundraising for President Barack Obama. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, between 2008 and 2012, LeVine donated $432,251 to Democratic candidates and organizations, gave $18,840 to Obama’s re-election campaign, and “bundled” at least $500,000 in donations from others. The New York Times reported in September 2012 that LeVine had raised at least $2.3 million for Obama’s campaigns since 2007.

Suzan Gail (Davidson) LeVine was born November 17, 1969, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Maurice Davidson, a doctor who had served in Vietnam, and Phyllis (Fox) Davidson, whose father, Phillip Fox, was a co-founder of the American Legion. She has two brothers, Philip and Samuel, and one sister, Hanna Fox. She graduated Atlantic City High School in 1987, and

earned dual degrees at Brown University in 1993: a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with aerospace applications.

Relocating to Seattle after graduation, LeVine began what she likes to call her “non-linear career” as a product manager for Microsoft from 1993 to 1998, where she worked on launching the final versions of MS-DOS and Windows 95.

From 1998 to 2005, LeVine worked for Expedia, Inc., first as a director of marketing and then as the vice president of marketing and sales for the luxury travel division.

From March 2006 to January 2014, she served as the co-founder and then chair of the advisory board for the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS) at the University of Washington, which is a leading early learning research institute.

For three of her years at I-LABS, 2009 to 2012, LeVine also worked at Microsoft as director of strategic partnerships for student developers and director of communications for education, working with students, school leaders, and educators to promote the advantages of teaching tech skills using Microsoft products.

During her term as ambassador, LeVine became interested in the Swiss dual education system, which emphasizes vocational apprenticeships for many students, and began advocating its adaptation to the U.S. Since resigning her post, LeVine has continued to advance that agenda by joining several relevant organizations: the Career Connect Washington Task Force, the board of CareerWise Colorado, the Seattle Region Partnership, and the board of the Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems in Zurich.

LeVine has been involved in various social and community initiatives, including co-founding the Kavana Cooperative, an independent Jewish community in Seattle. She has also been active with Hillel at the University of Washington, serving in various capacities, including board chair from July 2009 to June 2011, from 2000 to 2014.

Suzi LeVine and her husband, Eric LeVine, who founded CellarTracker, an online website for those who own wine-cellars, live in Seattle. They have two children, Sidney and Talia.

-Matt Bewig

To Learn More:

State Department Biography (State Department)

Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (pdf)

Learning From the Swiss About Apprenticeship (by Suzi and Eric LeVine)

An Interview with Suzan LeVine, U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Lichtenstein (by Joyce Xi, The Politic)

Geek of the Week: U.S. Ambassador Suzan LeVine draws on tech experience to enlighten and engage (by Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire)