class=”sc-3778e872-0 cgWkHT”>
Exploratory talks between Switzerland and the European Union are in full swing. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62) plans to present the benchmarks for a new negotiating mandate as early as the end of June.
It is precisely now that Secretary of State Livia Leu (62) is dropping out. The EU chief negotiator announced her resignation on Wednesday. She wants to finish the polls, then she’s gone. In the autumn she will become ambassador in Berlin.
And Federal Councilor Cassis? Looking for a new EU Whisperer for the third time. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs cooks state secretaries by the metre,” says a Member of Parliament. “It is scary.”
But the position of EU chief negotiator also has it all. “It is a wear and tear”, says FDP member of the Council of States Damian Müller (38). Müller finds criticism of Cassis inappropriate. He protects his fellow party members: “The file is being handled by the experienced Europe department in the Foreign Affairs department and the Federal Council as a whole is responsible.”
And this one doesn’t get good marks from either side. “The Federal Council is not doing its job,” says SP National Councilor Fabian Molina (32). Therefore, the departure of Livia Leu does not really change the starting position. “Switzerland does not know what they want. Therefore, no miracles can be expected from Leu’s successor.”
Did Cassis make false claims?
Who takes the job? According to the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (FDFA), suitability, knowledge, experience, skills and the family situation of the candidates count. Sounds pretty open, but there are only a handful of candidates for the top position in Brussels.
The name Alexandre Fasel (61) is currently the most mentioned. The Freiburg resident experienced Brexit as ambassador in London. In 2020, he wanted to take over the leadership of the Swiss mission to the EU in Brussels. Fasel was considered set. But when the Bundesrat as a whole wanted to go ahead with the nomination, Foreign Minister Cassis stated that Fasel was not interested at all. He would rather be ambassador in Cairo.
He did not want to – and that caused a stir in diplomatic circles. A huge amount of criticism erupted about Cassis. There was talk of “bullying” and “Stalinism”. Livia Leu, who had just accepted the position of EU chief negotiator, also came into view. Because the FDFA put it plainly: “Of course the new Secretary of State was involved in the appointment of the Head of Mission in Brussels.”
In 2021, Fasel did not go to Brussels, but to Geneva, where he has been working as “Special Advisor for Science Diplomacy” ever since. The EU ambassador, on the other hand, was Rita Adam (53), a lawyer who has been working for the FDFA for 24 years. From 2014 to 2018, she was ambassador to Tunisia and then to Rome. Unusually, however, she only stayed in Italy for two years before Cassis sent her to Brussels.
And now Alexandre Fasel and Rita Adam are being traded for the same job again. “Technically, both are undisputed,” said SVP National Councilor Franz Grüter (59), chairman of the National Council’s Foreign Policy Committee. “However, there are concerns about whether they are not too EU-friendly.” As Secretary of State, Livia Leu fought staunchly for Switzerland’s interests. “She has always been clear about what Switzerland wants and doesn’t want.” Leu did not allow himself to be bowed in Brussels, says Grüter. “The same must apply to their successors: they must wear the Swiss hat.”
How much that applies to Monika Schmutz Kirgöz (55) is open. One thing is certain: she is a serious candidate. The political scientist joined the FDFA in 1996, became Consul General in Istanbul in 2011 and Ambassador to Lebanon in 2017. From there she made a big leap in 2021 – to Rome, where she succeeded Rita Adam.
Diplomat or non-diplomat as successor?
What Fasel, Adam and Schmutz Kirgöz have in common: they are diplomats. “That’s their disadvantage,” says a member of the National Council rather unironically. Because: “Cassis hates diplomats.” Indeed, under Cassis there were disproportionate departures from the diplomatic corps. Complaints from emissaries regularly find their way to the public. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and his ambassadors, that is a difficult chapter.
“The idea of someone who has no diplomatic background becoming chief negotiator is not far-fetched,” said National Councilor Grüter. He refers to former Schindler manager Uli Sigg (77), who became ambassador to China in 1995. “The EU chief negotiator must be able to conduct tough negotiations,” says Grüter. “It could also be someone from the business world.”
Or a former head of the intelligence service: the name of EDA Secretary General Markus Seiler is also doing the rounds in Bern these days. “Cassis would like to send Seiler to Brussels,” says a member of parliament. “The diplomats are getting on his nerves. Seiler, on the other hand, is unconditionally loyal.”
Franz Grüter does not think that is a far-fetched thought. “Seiler is very intelligent and analytical. He would also have the necessary independence.”
But Cassis’ right hand doesn’t want to. “Markus Seiler is not available,” the FDFA says. Seiler does have something to do with Livia Leu’s successor: “He heads the selection committee”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Fasel, Adam, dirty Kirgöz – or is it a non-diplomat? One thing is clear: Leu’s successor is under immediate pressure. The EU aims to conclude the negotiations by the summer of 2024. “But that’s not realistic,” says Franz Grüter. “Any agreement must first be passed by parliament and then by the voters. It will take at least two years.”
Will Leu’s successor still be in office? “It’s a kamikaze job,” says Grüter. “One of the toughest mandates ever.”
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
