Top Swiss negotiator laments EU ‘pressure politics’
After another round of talks last week, Switzerland’s top negotiator with the EU, Livia Leu, said that Switzerland wants to move forward with negotiations but complained that the EU continues to push back the timetable.
This content was published on
2 minutes
NZZ/Keystone-SDA/jdp
Português
pt
Negociadora suíça lamenta “política de pressão” da UE
In an interviewExternal link in the German-language newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung on Tuesday, Leu rejected criticism from the EU that Switzerland has been buying time and not coming up with clear proposals. In February, Switzerland proposed a package for new talks with the EU and stepped up exploratory discussions in June.
“Switzerland wants to move forward. Unfortunately, the EU is not in a hurry and has delayed the deadline several times. That is probably part of the strategy. The EU is trying to apply pressure,” Leu told the newspaper.
Switzerland and the EU have been trying to work out a way forward on bilateral relations after the Swiss rejected an overarching framework agreement to govern long-term ties a year ago.
“I thought if the exploratory phase goes well we could start negotiations in the autumn. Unfortunately, it ran slower than expected – and not because of us,” said Leu.
One area that has been held up by the impasse is research collaborations, including the Horizon Europe programme. Leu said the EU continues to block discussions on this, which she called “pressure politics” from the EU that hurts research in Switzerland and the EU.
The chief negotiator said that Switzerland has sent many “positive signals” and “clear proposals,” including plans for a dispute settlement and stepping up the Swiss financial contributions. Leu said, now it is time for the “EU to also move”.
Sticking point
A key sticking point in the discussions has been the free movement of people. Leu argued that Switzerland is already a popular destination for EU workers and that it needs some exceptions in “sensitive areas, such as wage protection”.
On Wednesday, Leu is set to meet with her EU counterpart, Stefano Sannino, who heads foreign relations. The two are expected to discuss foreign policy issues, where Leu said there is a lot of agreement between the two parties.
“We hope that the good cooperation on foreign policy will help to improve bilateral relations,” she said. “It clearly shows that we have the same interests and values.” She pointed to Swiss adoption of EU sanctions against Russia.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
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.
Read more
More
Switzerland calls for ‘appropriate exceptions and safeguards’ in letter to EU
This content was published on
Switzerland’s chief negotiator Livia Leu has reiterated the country’s desire to move beyond institutional issues in discussions with the EU.
Diplomatic efforts fail to break Swiss-EU deadlock
This content was published on
Switzerland no closer to regaining full access to EU science and education projects, despite a further round of exploratory talks.
This content was published on
Citing “substantial differences”, the government has decided not to move ahead with a controversial institutional agreement on relations 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.