Abstract

What is that sovereignty apparently at stake when talking about Swiss-EU relations? The research reaches into philosophical debates on the complexity of sovereignty. While aiming at its very essence, the research encounters the deconstructionist hypothesis stating that there is nothing to worry about save the belief there is something to worry about. Claims of sovereignty rest upon the metaphysics of presence whose theological connotation remains, however, unsaid. Challenging (neo)realism, the thesis reveals the purely formalist character of those positions, which are well-disposed to easily (re)claim sovereignty while forgetting to define and to prove it. Accepting the challenge of applying (neo)positivist scientific standards, the research shows that there is a belief in the presence of sovereignty rather than real evidence of its presence. This metaphysical belief should not be carpeted with political realism, and sovereignty both as a political claim and as an ambition should be more openly recognized as theological.