Swiss president and EU Commission head meet in Davos

European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen (left) and Viola Amherd. © Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Viola Amherd and Ursula von der Leyen met briefly in Davos on Monday, where they reiterated a desire to move ahead quickly on regulating Swiss-EU ties.

According to Amherd, the two politicians confirmed their intention to rapidly re-start negotiations on a package of agreements to regulate relations. However, they did not commit to a fixed timetable, the Swiss president told media after the 15-minute meeting.

Amherd said she wanted to make use of the “ideal time window” in 2024 – before the European elections and before a reshuffled European Commission takes office in the summer.

She also reminded Von der Leyen that consultations on the Swiss government’s negotiating mandate are ongoing until mid-February and that domestic policy issues needed to be resolved before a firm mandate could be finalised. She hinted that the issue of trade unions, who have publicly expressed concerns, had been briefly addressed.

+ Swiss set out priorities for fresh EU negotiations

Amherd and von der Leyen agreed to call each other in an “uncomplicated” manner, if necessary, to take stock of progress, said Amherd.

For her part, von der Leyen said the meeting was “very good and very friendly”, without commenting further on what was discussed.

Relations with the EU are one of the hottest topics on the Swiss government’s political agenda. According to Amherd they signify the most important dossier of her presidential year.

+ Swiss-EU relations: Bern prepares for a vacuum

Observers regarded Monday’s meeting as a positive sign after months of talks at the technical level. The Swiss Federal Council adopted a negotiating mandate in mid-December. Five days later, the European Commission published its draft mandate. The stated goal on both the Swiss and the EU side is to be able to start negotiations within two to three months.

The Swiss delegation intends to use this week’s WEF as an opportunity to hold further talks on the EU. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the EU Commission who is responsible for the Swiss dossier. Economics Minister Guy Parmelin also intends to speak with Iliana Ivanova, the EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research and Education.

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