Swiss president warns against EU reprisals over collapsed talks
It is not in the European Union’s interests to punish Switzerland following the collapse of talks on the future of bilateral relations, the Swiss president has warned.
On Wednesday, Switzerland ended a seven-year effort to craft an overarching treaty to replace the more than 120 bilateral deals which have regulated relations for the past decades.
Parmelin, who heads the economics ministry in addition to serving this year as Swiss president, tried to soothe fears of uncertainty by saying that the collapsed talks have resulted in “clarity”.
“Had we continued to negotiate, with practically no prospect of success, it would have resulted in a longer period of uncertainty. Now we know that this contract [framework treaty] is not possible,” he said.
There are fears that Switzerland will be increasingly frozen out of access to the single market, such as an electricity union.
Switzerland has retaliated by blocking Swiss company share trading on EU stock exchanges and by withholding a CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) payment to the EU cohesion fund.
Parmelin said the process of pricking each other with needles must come to an end. Kicking Switzerland out of the Horizon Research scheme would “weaken Europe as a research location compared to Asia and the US. Taking research hostage does not serve anyone.”
“This example demonstrates that needling does not benefit the population, neither here nor in the EU. You don’t prick someone if you want to arrive at a joint solution and are looking for a win-win situation through an agreement.”
Swiss policy will now concentrate on finding ways of updating existing bilateral agreements to iron out differences between the two sides.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
Swiss prepare for EU chill after quitting market access talks
This content was published on
After the Swiss government shelved an institutional agreement on relations with the EU, there are many questions about what happens next.
Media reacts to uncertain aftermath of EU deal failure
This content was published on
“Punk politics”, or “right decision”? The Swiss press is divided about the the government’s decision to break off negotiations with the EU.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.