Ameti hands out to everyone in EU “arena” – until an entrepreneur gets personal Federal Council creates legal basis for further reserve power plants

She can hand out. And not just to the right or to the left, but in all directions. We are talking about Sanija Ameti, who took over the co-chairmanship of Operation Libero in October 2021. Exactly one year later, she owned the big stage in the “EU” Arena. And the lawyer launched a sweeping attack against all parties and the Federal Council. Ameti heard many of the other participants in the discussion, which allowed an answer at the end of the evening whether the 30-year-old could handle it too.

But up front.

The SRF had to enter the arena on Friday evening with the title “Is that good between Bern and Brussels?” loaded. The following four panelists followed the call:

One or the other “Arena” viewer should have taken note of the name Rietiker. Wasn’t there something?

We remember: in November last year, when the Covid law was at stake, the entrepreneur had an “Arena” appearance and caused an inglorious scene. He indecently approached the SRF fact-checker — and received a warning from moderator Sandro Brotz. Something that has never happened in the recent history of the «Arena».

Now Rietiker has returned to Studio 8 in Leutschenbach in a new role. He will be chairman of the successor organization of the aunts “Pro Switzerland” from next week. The man from Zug was asked for this position by Christoph Blocher himself.

This time too, Rietiker drew incredulous looks. He said Switzerland should not focus too much on Europe. Other markets are just as important. For example, China and the US. “Switzerland’s biggest export partner is not the EU, but the US,” Rietiker claimed. “We must have a free trade agreement with the United States!”

Eric Nussbaumer replied: «The most important trading partner for Swiss exports is the EU. one hundred percent. You’re wrong.” It probably remains Rietiker’s secret where he got his numbers from – Sandro Brotz agreed with the SP man anyway. But there was no warning for Rietiker this time.

However, this show was also rushed back and forth, which was mainly due to Ameti. Switzerland absolutely needs an institutional framework agreement, the lawyer insists. “That makes us the most able to act now.” However, the parties would only pursue a blockade policy and hold back progress for fear of losing their share of the vote. “The first goal of the parties is to keep their seats.” Above all, Ameti targeted the FDP, whose seat in the Federal Council is trembling.

Operation Libero didn’t shy away from playing the man in the past, posting a meme in which Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis happily plays guitar in a burning house. The “Arena” faded into the subject for a moment:

Petra Gössi did not accept the scolding of Ametis. The established parties in the country are concerned with much more than just elections. “They keep the community functioning, put people on commission, and almost everything is unpaid.” People are mainly there to make good policy. The Operation Libero meme, on the other hand, was “relentlessly shot at a person” and has nothing to do with actual politics.

The national councilor of the FDP showed caution. At one point, she even acted as a mediator between Nussbaumer and Rietiker, who got into an argument.

The question arises how one can continue to participate in the internal market, according to the Landsraad of the SP. One is an export-oriented country and wants to do business with as few barriers as possible. “But the reality is that we can no longer manage new contracts and the old contracts are not updated.” Moreover, Swiss researchers could no longer participate in the European research network.

The only thing the Horizon and Erasmus research programs had produced was a million babies, Rietiker replied, asking: “Should we waste our tax dollars to support the exchange of bodily fluids and parties?”

Then Gössi intervened and Rietiker calmly explained what was at stake. “I don’t always see everything the same as Mr. Nussbaumer,” said the FDP National Councilor. But the fact that contracts with the EU are not currently being updated is a “difficulty”. Research collaboration is also important. “We have to make sure we don’t let ourselves down. We can’t catch up anymore.” Rietiker listened and even nodded a few times in agreement.

However, the entrepreneur did not find any agreement with Ameti at all. “It’s really easy and cheap to trample Federal Councilor Cassis,” he accused of Operation Libero. After all, he only represents the entire Federal Council.

And here it was shown that Ameti can also handle it. She let the justified criticism sink in, picked herself up and launched a counterattack. “You know what’s cheap?” she replied Rietiker. “Just always say: we don’t want that, we don’t want that, we don’t want that.” From Rietiker’s side, she has never heard an alternative about how Switzerland should continue to trade. In any case, she doesn’t want to favor autocratic systems like China to trade.

As a result, Rietiker did what you only do when you run out of good arguments: he attacked Ameti personally. “Have you ever been to China? Have you ever been to China? I think you’re talking about things you haven’t seen before,” muttered the future president of “Pro Switzerland”.