Over EU negotiations: Cassis indirectly exchanged blows with Martullo-Blocher

Martullo-Blocher’s three points against the Federal Council plans

“Switzerland’s tax sovereignty is at risk,” the SVP vice president first said. With the planned new bilateral agreements, EU subsidy law will also become binding for Switzerland. According to Martullo-Blocher, once the agreements are signed the EU may suddenly complain that Switzerland’s low corporate tax is a state subsidy in competition with the EU and therefore come under attack from Brussels. “The EU could ban Switzerland from following its own tax policy,” he said.

Secondly, the SVP foreign policy official said that the danger of unemployed EU citizens migrating into Swiss social welfare systems has not been prevented. Martullo-Blocher confirmed that “new exceptions have been identified” in preliminary negotiations. However, the planned new agreement will lead to faster settlement of EU citizens due to the shortening of the period from 10 years to 5 years. This means that more people will be eligible for social benefits. Switzerland will need to prove that unemployed EU citizens “caused their own unemployment” to be denied or withdrawn a residence permit. This is extremely difficult. Martullo-Blocher says this ensures increased social costs.

Thirdly, Martullo-Blocher criticizes the fact that too many concessions were made to unions when negotiating new contracts. “You may be buying yourself big problems here,” he warned trade representatives.

The SVP vice president said the interim contract was “unsatisfactory for the industry, with a few specific exceptions”. And he called on the trade union to reject further negotiations in its response to the consultation. “If you already know about these problems, you don’t have to do the final negotiations,” Martullo-Blocher said.

Cassis: “There are no foreign judges”

However, Martullo-Blocher received no applause. His vote was received coldly. Some of those who did not attend the meeting later complained that the event had been hijacked by EU opponents, including Blocher adlatus Stephan Rietiker and daily presenter and “Nebelspalter” editor-in-chief Markus Somm. The latter spoke uncontrollably and emotionally negatively about the results on the podium and dismissed as “wrong” the statements made by supporters of the EU negotiations.

A few hours later, Ignazio Cassis received great applause. The Swiss Foreign Minister made an opening speech. He did not mention the “red lines” of the Federal Council. But in this context he used the term “negotiation guidelines,” which roughly means the same thing.

Cassis said the Federal Council would not accept “any infiltration of social systems” with the outcome of the negotiations.

The Federal Council will also “not tolerate the undermining of our legal system.” He clearly said that “there will be no foreign judges”. In doing so, Cassis also countered Martullo-Blocher’s counter-argument that the EU had gained influence over Swiss tax policy through EU subsidy regulations.

He rejects calls to break off negotiations. “It is very important for our country to stabilize and further develop its bilateral path with the EU,” Cassis said.