The French ambassador to Switzerland, Frédéric Journès, had requested the interview himself, as soon as possible. Received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bern a few days ago, there simply transmitted the message of the Presidency of the Republic to its interlocutors “Vigilance”, according to Sunday newspaper of Zurich, which reveals the information Sunday, September 19. Content of the message: the invitation to Paris, in November, from the incumbent President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, for a “working meeting”, would no longer be relevant.
It is therefore not only the diplomatic crisis with the United States and Australia after the latter gave up the acquisition of French submarines in favor of American nuclear-powered devices as part of the new pact. strategic Aukus (Australia, United Kingdom, United States). The French President, Emmanuel Macron, is also very upset against Switzerland, and here again it is an arms contract lost by France which is at the origin of the quarrel. At the beginning of the summer, in fact, Switzerland chose the American F-35 stealth fighter rather than its French competitor, the Rafale from Dassault Aviation.
Winding tactics
According to sources familiar with the matter, it was less the final decision than the winding Swiss negotiation practices that annoyed Paris. Until the end, Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd reportedly hinted that the details of the deal, such as compensatory matters, remained to be worked out. Paris had made significant concessions, and Mr. Macron had even offered some form of support to Switzerland in its difficult position vis-à-vis the European Union. Because, on May 26, the Federal Council unilaterally put an end to negotiations with the European Commission in Brussels on the outlines of a new partnership, and Switzerland has since found itself increasingly isolated on the European scene. However, according to several interlocutors, the Ministry of Defense in Bern had known for a long time that the choice of the new Swiss Air Force device would ultimately be unfavorable to the Rafale and that there was therefore nothing left. to discuss.
The decision to slam the door in the face of the President of the Swiss Confederation is accompanied by another, less symbolic, but more worrying for Swiss diplomacy. Paris would no longer want any high-level bilateral contact with Bern until the summer of 2020. The measure is unusual and puts a strain not only on relations between the two countries, but also those between Switzerland and the EU, including France will assume the presidency of the Council from 1is January 2022 for six months.
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