On the Church/Government Conflict in Armenia

Open letter from National Councillor Stefan Müller-Altermatt,

Dear Armenians,

I have been a member of the Swiss Parliament for 14 years. And I have an adopted son from Armenia. So, I have Armenian blood in my family, but not in my own veins. With the experience of a parliamentarian in one of the most politically stable countries in Europe and with the passion of an Armenian father, I would like to address you today.

I would like to tell you about the state of Switzerland 150 years ago. At that time, Switzerland was the "poorhouse of Europe," a small, mountainous state without its own natural resources, surrounded by warring superpowers. The political climate in Switzerland was poisonous. For the first decades of its existence, Switzerland suffered from a rift running through society between Catholic conservatives and liberals. The role of the church in the state was the dominant theme of political debate and the litmus test for the young nation.

Of course, history isn't a repeat offender. And Switzerland's starting point was different. France, the German Empire, and Austria-Hungary were at war with each other, but they didn't exert pressure on Switzerland like Russia and Turkey do on Armenia today. And above all, Switzerland didn't have to endure a genocide that has been traumatically burned into the collective memory.

And yet, there are lessons from the course of history that can perhaps be applied from Switzerland to Armenia. What led to Switzerland being able to maintain its sovereignty for so long, become an enormously stable country, and, moreover, achieve considerable prosperity?

We must not fool ourselves: It was primarily the goodwill of the great powers that allowed the Swiss Confederation to flourish in peace. But it was also the foresight of our political ancestors who contributed to its continuity. When the first Swiss Federal Constitution came into force in 1848, Switzerland was at least as strongly influenced by Christianity as present-day Armenia. And the strife surrounding church and state was just as present. With the first Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848, minorities were protected, decentralized administrative structures were strengthened, and the people's right to have a say was cemented. None of this was in the interest of the liberals in power at the time. However, they took a step towards their political opponents, the Catholic Conservatives – and thereby secured political peace.

But the church also had to take a step. It had to accept that the state alone dictated the political direction. While the churches were accepted as "state churches" and granted the right to collect taxes, in return they had to establish democratically governed structures of their own.

The end of the conflict between church and state and the strengthening of the people's civil rights. These two approaches have granted the Swiss people enormous freedom. And if this freedom is guaranteed internally, then freedom from the outside will also be assured.

For this is precisely what the present, not the past, teaches us: A country preserves its freedom and independence only when it is also free and independent internally. Therefore, if a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is concluded in the next few hours, days, or weeks, the question of how Armenia itself deals with it is more important than the content of the agreement.

It won't benefit Armenia if church and state quarrel over the agreement or over Nagorno-Karabakh. Rather, the church will simply serve as a gateway for Russia to advance its interests. Russia and its undemocratic, kleptocratic elites are waiting for this opportunity. And Aliyev will use any unrest in Armenia to conjure up an "Armenian threat" and overrun Syunik.

I sincerely wish that Armenia will find inner peace and freedom. Thus, what once happened in the Alps could be repeated in the Caucasus: that a tormented mountain people could achieve lasting independence and prosperity. Thanks to stable institutions, good relations with their neighbors, and perhaps—regardless of the role of the Church—also through God's assistance.