Swiss Review 4/2021

Swiss Review / August 2021 / No.4 22 Politics Das letzte Zusam- mentreffen vor dem Nein aus Bern zwis- chen Bundespräsi- dent Guy Parmelin und EU-Kommission- spräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen. Zuge- wandtheit sieht an- ders aus: Haltung und Ausdruck lassen die «unüberwind- baren Differenzen» bereits erahnen. Foto Keystone THEODORA PETER A black day, an error of judgement, or an act of liberation? It remains to be seen how historians will look back on 26 May 2021 and its implications for Swiss-EU relations. On a cool, rainy Wednesday, three stony-faced members of the Swiss government appeared before the media in Berne to announce the abandonment of talks with Brussels. Presi- dent of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin (SVP) – flanked by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (FDP) and Jus- tice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) – put it like this: “The talks have failed to produce the requisite results.” An unspectacular sentence with explosive implications. After seven years of arduous negotiations, Switzerland has walked out and slammed the door shut. The framework agreement wasmeant to govern all aspects of the relationship between non-EU Switzerland and the EU – and it matters, not least because the EU is Switzerland’s main trading partner. What is more, the framework agreement would have replaced all the existing bilateral agreements. The draft framework agreement had been on the table since 2018, when the EUunilaterally declared the negotiations over. How- ever, Switzerland wanted further “clarifications” on conten- tious points, such as wage protection and the free movement of EU citizens in Switzerland (see edition 2/2019 of “Swiss Re- view”). Ultimately, the two sides failed to bridge their differ- ences. The Federal Council’s only recently appointed new ne- gotiator in Brussels, Livia Leu, was also unable to clear these stumbling blocks. She had no alternative but to deliver the government’s rejection letter to the EUheadquarters. Cue con- siderable annoyance in Brussels. Apparently, European Com- mission President Ursula von der Leyen had “no time” to take a telephone call fromGuy Parmelin. Electorate not consulted The collapse of negotiations also caused consternation in Switzerland, not least because the Federal Council had taken such a significant decision without consulting par- liament or the electorate. Political commentators like his- torian ThomasMaissen accused the government of lacking guts in cancelling any domestic debate on the draft treaty and choosing the “path of least resistance”. Indeed, the framework agreement had been a hard sell for the Federal Council. Besides the SVP, which had flatly rejected what it called the “subjugation treaty”, the trade unions also voiced opposition.With the exception of the GLP, therewas a great deal of scepticism among the other political parties. Brus- sels showing little willingness to compromise during the talks did little to help either. What will happen now? The Federal Council had no real plan B up its sleeve and hopes to continue with the existing bilateral deals with the EU – despite the EUhavingmade clear that it will not agree any new treaties with Switzerland, nor renew existing treaties, without a framework agreement in place. The Federal Council has suggested to the European Swiss-EU relations facing an uncertain future The framework agreement between Switzerland and the European Union is history. But the Federal Council wants to maintain the bilateral approach. A risky plan fraught with uncertainty. The last meeting be- tween the president of the Swiss Confedera- tion, Guy Parmelin, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before Berne walked away – body language and facial expressions betraying their “insurmountable differences”. Photo: Keystone