Swiss president warns against EU reprisals over collapsed talks
Swiss president Guy Parmelin calls for a calm approach to future EU relations, putting extreme emotions aside.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
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.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
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.