12.07.10 Speech by President Doris Leuthard - 1st August 2010
Fellow countrymen and women
Ladies and Gentlemen
Let us take a moment on our Swiss National Day to look backand reflect on Switzerland’s values and qualities. On the first ofAugust, Swiss nationals celebrate traditions and customs, andthey feel the bond with their country whether they are at homeor abroad. All this makes our Swiss National Day a specialoccasion.
Dear Swiss Abroad, you have come together today because ofthe close and genuine ties you have to your homeland. You, the700,000 or so Swiss citizens abroad,work hard for the good of our country. In your host country, yourepresent the virtues to which Switzerland owes its goodreputation. You embody the open mindset that has alwaysserved Switzerland well. You are an important calling card forour country. You also hold a mirror up to us. You have thenecessary distance to be able to provide us with direct andhonest feedback about our actions. You are our eyes and ears,because many things look different or better from the outside orfrom a distance.
The last few months have been difficult for many countries,Switzerland included. The financial and economic crisis hasforced us all to adopt extraordinary measures. By maintaining asense of proportion and a certain calm, we have weathered thiscrisis. We have positioned ourselves well. Today Switzerland iswell placed, even very well placed when comparedinternationally. Unemployment figures are also falling. This isencouraging and offers hope for the future. It is nonethelessbetter to err on the side of caution as it is still too early to speakof a turnaround. And events in recent months have shown thatpressure from abroad is unlikely to diminish. We must thereforestand firm, yet at the same time be prepared to be more flexiblein areas in which we can improve our position. It is all the moreimportant to foster good international relations, which makesyou all the more important as ambassadors for our country. Thisis where you support us directly.
I can promise you this: even when the pressure intensifies andwe have to be hard but fair to stand up for our interests abroad,Switzerland will, as always, remain true to its values ofopenness, solidarity, reliability and freedom. With qualities andvirtues such as these, we will also be well equipped toovercome future crises!
On behalf of the Federal Council, I wish you a very happy firstof August.
DEUTSCH
http://media.swissinfo.ch/audios/swissinfo/2010/07/bf2010_ger-15515636-128k.mp3
ENGLISH
http://media.swissinfo.ch/audios/swissinfo/2010/07/bf2010_eng-15515614-128k.mp3
FRANCAIS
http://media.swissinfo.ch/audios/swissinfo/2010/07/bf2010_fre-15514478-128k.mp3
ITALIANO
http://media.swissinfo.ch/audios/swissinfo/2010/07/bf2010_ita-15510952-128k.mp3
ESPAGNOL
http://media.swissinfo.ch/audios/swissinfo/2010/07/bf2010_spa-15510900-128k.mp3
