Switzerland and EU want to negotiate, but optimism is limited

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (third from left) at the press conference at which the negotiating mandate was presented. The road to finalisation could be a long one. KEYSTONE/© KEYSTONE / PETER SCHNEIDER

It’s taken three years, 11 exploratory rounds and 46 specialised meetings, but the official negotiations on the future relationship between Bern and Brussels have finally begun. Here’s what you need to know.

The smoke signals are set: on March 8 the Swiss government adopted the mandateExternal link for the negotiations with the EU, and a few days later the EU also gave the green light. This clears the way for a new agreement on future relations.

On the one side, neutral Switzerland, endeavouring to maintain political independence and interested in international trade; on the other is the European Union, the largest economic area in the world, which is becoming ever deeper politically and will presumably continue to grow.

What exactly is at stake?

Switzerland’s access to the European single market has so far been regulated by a large number of bilateral agreements. The government’s declared aim is to stabilise and expand this bilateral approach. This is in response to pressure from the EU, which wants to update the relationship with Switzerland – the current form of which has remained the same since the 1990s. This involves updating existing agreements on the one hand and concluding new agreements in the areas of electricity, health and food safety on the other.

Major sticking points are the dynamic adoption of future changes to EU law, the free movement of people (where Switzerland wants to secure certain exceptions), and wage protection. The issue of dispute resolution and the role of the European Court of Justice in this are also generating debate.

What are the reactions in Switzerland?

At the moment, two camps are clearly recognisable: the right-wing Swiss People’s Party is in total opposition and speaks of a “treaty of subjugation”. The party has been cultivating an anti-EU stance since the 1990s and has become the party with the largest share of the vote as a result. They are currently the only party with a clear political message.

The other parties are signalling agreement in principle, although practically all of them are keeping their distance – they don’t want to get too far out on a limb. This is also a constant in Swiss-European relations: despite the close proximity, criticism is always louder than agreement. Depending on the content of the negotiations, a different part of the negotiating package is criticised.

The majority of civil society can also be found in this second camp. Business and employers’ associations, for example, emphasise the possibility of strengthening legal certainty and Switzerland as a business location with stable bilateral relations. The greatest extra-parliamentary criticism comes from trade unions, which fear a deterioration in wage protection and consider the mandate to be unsuitable in this respect.

The only ones with a clear message: the Swiss People’s Party rejects any rapprochement with the EU. KEYSTONE/© KEYSTONE / ANTHONY ANEX

What do the Swiss media say?

In contrast to the institutional framework agreement, which Switzerland unilaterally walked away from in 2021, the situation is better today, says Swiss public television, SRF. However, there is still “little optimism”.

Some opinion pieces criticise the reluctance of political parties and civil society, for example in the Swiss edition of Die Zeit, which says people must “finally recognise the European question for what it is: a decision about the big picture” – and mobilise accordingly.

However, it remains unclear how this should be done. The SonntagsBlick writes that the government urgently needs a “grounded Mr or Ms Europe”: someone who stands out from the elitist political class and can authentically convey the urgency of the population’s concerns.

However, it is questionable whether a single person can do this. In any case, the French-speaking Swiss newspaper Le Temps believes that the seven-member government has a duty to express itself “broadly, quickly and decisively”. However, the right-wing spectrum is not satisfied with the government’s approach. The SonntagsZeitung, for example, writes that this is “European political suicide”.

European media, on the other hand, barely cover the issue. This is not surprising, as even the EU’s reaction was anything but exuberant. As the Neue Zürcher Zeitung points out, the EU has “greater concerns than the difficult relationship with Switzerland”.

What happens next?

The EU would like to reach a swift conclusion. This is because the European elections will take place in June, after which a new Commission will be elected. It is unclear how realistic the goal of concluding the negotiations before then is. Especially as the Swiss government has signalled at home that it will demand improvements from the EU on some points. European officials have expressed similar sentiments: should Switzerland demand more, they would do the same.

The Swiss government has already clarified the position of parliament, cantons, associations and social and economic partners in a consultation process. It has stated that “the vast majority” support the existing basis. However, in Switzerland’s direct democracy with its constantly changing alliances, there are no absolute and stable loyalties. And the issue of the EU has all too often caused considerable political upheaval in recent decades.

A corresponding referendum is expected in 2026 at the earliest. In this respect at least, there is unanimity in Switzerland: the outcome is completely open.

Edited by Marc Leutenegger. Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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