SWITZERLAND-EU – Ignazio Cassis is holding talks on how the Federal Council can bury the EU framework agreement without major damage

The foreign minister doesn’t want to look bad if the agreement fails. That is why he is currently inviting consultations. National and Council of States, meanwhile, are arguing whether Parliament will be involved when negotiations with the EU are over.

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Chief negotiator Livia Leu is not making any progress in Brussels. In Bundesbern, the negotiations on the framework agreement with the EU are considered to have failed. The only question now is whether the line will be drawn in April or May. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis now receives guests with whom he discusses, for example, how the Federal Council can sink the treaty without looking bad.

Another topic of the talks: How should things go on in relation to the European Union? And: How should Parliament be involved in the funeral of the framework agreement? If the state government does not sign the contract, it has fundamentally failed. Parliament does not have to be involved in this.

National and Council of States are now discussing the question of whether that is a good thing. Shouldn’t Parliament speak out on such an important matter? Opinions differ widely.

Open a new chapter as quickly as possible

FDP National Councilor Christian Wasserfallen says: “The Federal Council would do well to bury the framework agreement itself instead of letting it be talked to length in parliament. This is the best way to start a new relationship with the EU. ” In Waterfall’s view, it would be a good thing if the matter were no longer occupied and a new chapter opened in relation to Brussels.

Councilor of States Ruedi Noser (FDP) reminds that Parliament can start an urgent debate on the subject at any time – even if the Federal Council does not want to sign the treaty. Noser is also looking ahead: “If the contract fails, I expect the Federal Council to work out a program to increase efficiency and competition. Otherwise Switzerland would fall behind economically. ”

Tiana Moser, President of the Foreign Affairs Commission, has a completely different opinion. She belongs to the green liberals who are in favor of the treaty – even without rework. Moser demands:

“Parliament must be able to deal with the framework agreement in any case.”

In principle, the Federal Council gave the 2019 contract a positive assessment. The government should explain where there are still differences with the EU and how he wants to resolve them. “If he does not sign the treaty, the Federal Council would have to show what other path than bilateral it wants to take for relations with the EU. Realistically, only the EEA, EU accession or the Brexit variant remained. Unfortunately, the tailor-made bilateral path would come to an end, ”says Moser.

The sending department believes that failure is always possible

National Councilor Lorenz Hess (center) goes less far than Moser, but thinks it would be good if Parliament discussed the treaty as a whole and not just the critical points that are now likely to crash.

The Department of Foreign Affairs does not provide any information on how Parliament should be involved. It announced that the Federal Council was preparing for all scenarios. Failure is always possible in a negotiation. “The aim of the Federal Council is to consolidate and expand the bilateral path.”

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