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The ghost is back: Switzerland is once again discussing institutional rapprochement with the European Union. On Friday, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62), inspired by his re-election on Wednesday, presented his draft negotiating mandate. Next to him are Elisabeth Baume-Schneider (59), who moved to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Economy Guy Parmelin (64).
When the Federal Council canceled the framework agreement with the EU on 26 May 2021, Bern Euroturbos were in shock. Since Friday, they have regained the momentum, as they say in New German.
Cassis said 70 bilateral meetings were required by then. Now the magic word is “package approach”: New agreements will be made in the fields of electricity, food safety and health, the judges are happy. This also includes an agreement on participation in EU programmes.
Manna is falling from the sky for business and research – let the negotiations begin!
What do we pay for this?
So what is the political cost? Of course, regular harmonization contributions to the EU are also part of this, but above all it is a process called dynamic legal adoption: once agreed, regulations can change, but Switzerland must adopt them “independently”. What about in case of a dispute? A “mixed committee” with Swiss representation must decide.
The next authority will be a so-called equal, that is, balanced arbitration court. The famous slogan of foreign judges still resonates; Will the population participate?
Another sensitive point is the Union Citizens Directive. EU citizens who have worked in Switzerland for at least five years should have unrestricted access to social assistance. Local authorities are only allowed to pull the emergency brake if those affected “fail to cooperate with the employment agency.”
Unions are critical
There are also concerns about wage protection. Union boss and SP Council of States Member Pierre-Yves Maillard (55) calls for improvements in the Blick interview.
In short: A new showdown is emerging in Europe.
A strong coalition of business, universities and cantons is pushing for a deal; According to Cassis, this should be achieved in less than two years. Associations and organizations such as Progresuisse are already taking action for “Dual III”. And yet the old attack surfaces are back.
The state government’s progress also breathes new life into the Compass/Europe alliance. While Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis deliberately did not name his new project in order not to bring political burden, the group around Partners Group founder Alfred Gantner (55) calls the Federal Council’s plan “Framework Agreement 2.0”. As a reminder, Gantner and his organization successfully resisted the first framework agreement with the EU, which was canceled on May 26, 2021. Now the politically active entrepreneur is active again. “The architecture is still the same: Dynamic legal adoption,” Gantner tells Blick about the proposed solution with the European Union. He “fundamentally rejects” this defined starting point and believes he “will fail again.” However, unlike three years ago, soldiers do not want to be content with just prevention. Gantner: “You can’t always say no; you have to present a new, rational, success-oriented direction.”
Decision at the ballot box
Gantner & Co. is planning a popular venture. “We will reach the public in a new way,” he confirms.
The thrust: Sectoral agreements with Brussels while preserving sovereignty, as Kompass/Europe has demanded many times before. Preparations are still in the early stages. Next week, Kompass/Europe leadership will meet with the Farner agency. The communications company advised Gantner on resistance to the first framework agreement.
European friends are gaining strength from new appointments in the Federal Council: unlike the brakeman Alain Berset (51), the elected SP candidate Beat Jans (59) is an ardent friend of Europe. As head of government of the border canton of Basel, Jans insisted at every opportunity on a better relationship with Brussels: “Business and research urgently need this.” In a “NZZ” interview before his election, he complained that the Federal Council “needs to show more leadership” on the European file. And he called for more intense cooperation between Switzerland and the EU.
This further complicates the initial situation for the state government: Gantner and his allies find broad support for their position and have sufficient resources for a campaign. The Federal Council will therefore need to hold another vote.
As expected, Cassis faces fundamental resistance from the SVP. Parliamentary group leader Thomas Aeschi (44) now heads the powerful Economic Commission (WAK) in the National Council. He invited EDA chairman Cassis, who was supposed to answer questions on sovereignty and free movement of people, to the meeting on 12 February.
Spicy: Blick has learned that the SVP’s sustainability initiative, a frontal assault on freedom of action, is well on its way. Party strategists expect the referendum to be presented in the first half of 2024. The Federal Council will probably have to present its message to Parliament by spring 2025. The foreseeable vote on Cassis’s 2.0 framework agreement and the SVP initiative will also go to the polls at almost the same time.
The constellation is also exciting for another reason: with the exception of Senior Vice President Albert Rösti (56), all members of the new Federal Council come from a border canton and have many points of contact with Europe. VBS boss Viola Amherd (61) also discovered the European file.
Amherd wants a strengthened relationship
He even makes it a central theme of his presidential year. Unlike Alain Berset, who traveled through world history from Africa to Canada, Amherd will visit European countries in 2024.
Whether on the inaugural visit to Austria, at the World Economic Forum in Davos GR or at the Munich Security Conference: the Valais woman wants to create a “bella figura” for Europe. In his statement after his election as Federal President, Amherd said, “With a regular and strengthened relationship with the EU, our country will gain more room for maneuver and therefore sovereignty.”
He knows that negotiations with Brussels can be technical and complex. With his charm and clever arguments, Amherd wants to integrate Switzerland more closely into Europe; Well-equipped opponents await.
The ghost is back again.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
