Swiss president should have met Trump in Scotland, says ex-diplomat

'Karin Keller-Sutter should have met Trump in Scotland' Keystone-SDA

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter would have been better off meeting US President Donald Trump in Scotland alongside the European Union. This is according to former Swiss ambassador Thomas Borer.

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But now that the 39% US tariffs have arrived, it is a matter of reacting, perhaps even by unconventional methods, for example through Fifa president Gianni Infantino, as well as finally activating Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. This is the opinion of Thomas Borer, former Swiss diplomat and ambassador to Germany.

“With hindsight it is always easy to be smarter,” saidthe 68-year-old in an interview in the Watson news portal. “At the beginning of April, Switzerland was among the countries striving to quickly reach an agreement with the United States. We believed we were on the right track. It would have been better to be among the first states to reach an understanding with President Trump: then he could have sold the agreement with Switzerland as a victory. After the agreement with the European Union and Japan, we became a sideshow for the American president, which could hardly be exploited in the media.”

“The federal government has relied on the fact that the usual diplomatic practices apply in the US and that an agreement negotiated at ministerial level is approved by the top leadership,” explains the expert who is well known for having led the Switzerland – Second World War task force between 1996 and 1999 during the Jewish funds crisis. “But President Trump does not consider himself a normal politician. He always wants to personally get the best for his country and renegotiate. Now we have to live with this reality.”

According to Watson, Trump was evidently in a bad mood at the time of the phone call with Keller-Sutter, who holds the Swiss rotating presidency, because the US labour market data was much worse than he expected. Was it wrong to call him? “When you don’t know each other well personally, video conferences are always delicate,” the specialist replies. “Meetings in person are better because they allow you to feel the interlocutor. It would have been better if our president had gone to Scotland at the end of July, when Trump, an avid golfer, was in a better mood.”

“An experienced negotiator would have asked during the phone call: ‘Dear Mr President, what concessions do you think the Swiss government still needs to make?’” the business consultant argues. “Proposals could have been discussed immediately, which could now be presented to the federal government. Apparently this did not happen: we are groping in the dark.”

“Switzerland has to make further concessions to the US, which are geared to those of the EU,” continues the former Swiss ambassador to Germany (1999-2002). “This means billion-dollar offers in the armaments sector, oil and gas purchases and probably also concessions in agriculture. The problem now is that President Trump has not yet made a final decision. Switzerland cannot say: we have met the demands you made during the phone conversation. Trump can ask for even more at any time.”

“According to my information, part of the Swiss delegation in charge of the negotiations wanted to present the US with a more generous offer from the outset. It is important for President Trump to include agricultural products, as he feels he owes it to his Midwestern constituents. The agreement between the US and Japan provides for the export of agricultural products, which can be presented by Trump as a victory.”

The Swiss pharmaceutical industry is also in the spotlight, Trump is calling for a sharp reduction in drug prices in the US: should Novartis and Roche give in on this? “According to my information, President Trump will impose this measure in all cases. If this is in Switzerland’s interest in the ongoing negotiations, the federal government should consider this additional concession.”

The former senior federal official also expresses criticism of the government in Bern. “I do not understand why it only wants to meet on Monday: it should have done so on Sunday. Then it would have been appropriate for Secretary of State Helene Budliger Artieda to travel to Washington to present Switzerland’s new offer to the US government. Finally, the government should insist on a meeting between President Trump and President Keller-Sutter or Vice-President Guy Parmelin.” In short, contacts are needed at both levels: between the negotiating teams and between the political leadership.

“Every possibility must now be tried,” insists the lawyer with a doctorate from the University of Basel. “This issue has top priority in Switzerland’s foreign policy and foreign economic policy: it seems to me appropriate that Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis should also finally get in touch with his American counterpart Marco Rubio.”

What about the relationship between the two states in general? “Switzerland regards the US as a sister republic, since in the 19th century they were the only existing democracies. However, the history of bilateral relations has always been characterised by the stern attitude of the big sister towards the little sister.”

“In most cases, this is the case, as the balance of power is clearly against us: this does not mean, however, that Switzerland does not defend its interests tooth and nail,” said Borer. “We have very good negotiators in the administration in Bern. Someone has even proposed Fifa president Gianni Infantino: I don’t think that’s a bad idea. With German Chancellor Friedrich Merz such an intervention would not help, but Trump works differently, Infantino gets along with him. If he said to Trump: Mr President, give me 15 minutes’ and then brought with him Secretary of State Budliger, ready to make concessions, then 15 minutes would quickly become 30 minutes or more and perhaps lead to a result.”

“Classic diplomatic methods only work to a limited extent with Donald Trump: you also have to act unconventionally, you have to try everything,” Borer is convinced. “Then maybe Switzerland can lower the duties to 15%.” So no longer 10% as was apparently planned in the joint declaration of intent? asked the Watson reporter. “I’m afraid it’s too late now,” he concludes.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/jdp

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