Swiss president warns against EU reprisals over collapsed talks
Swiss president Guy Parmelin calls for a calm approach to future EU relations, putting extreme emotions aside.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
It is not in the European Union’s interests to punish Switzerland following the collapse of talks on the future of bilateral relations, the Swiss president has warned.
On Wednesday, Switzerland ended a seven-year effort to craft an overarching treaty to replace the more than 120 bilateral deals which have regulated relations for the past decades.
Parmelin, who heads the economics ministry in addition to serving this year as Swiss president, tried to soothe fears of uncertainty by saying that the collapsed talks have resulted in “clarity”.
“Had we continued to negotiate, with practically no prospect of success, it would have resulted in a longer period of uncertainty. Now we know that this contract [framework treaty] is not possible,” he said.
There are fears that Switzerland will be increasingly frozen out of access to the single market, such as an electricity union.
Switzerland has retaliated by blocking Swiss company share trading on EU stock exchanges and by withholding a CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) payment to the EU cohesion fund.
Parmelin said the process of pricking each other with needles must come to an end. Kicking Switzerland out of the Horizon Research scheme would “weaken Europe as a research location compared to Asia and the US. Taking research hostage does not serve anyone.”
“This example demonstrates that needling does not benefit the population, neither here nor in the EU. You don’t prick someone if you want to arrive at a joint solution and are looking for a win-win situation through an agreement.”
Swiss policy will now concentrate on finding ways of updating existing bilateral agreements to iron out differences between the two sides.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
This content was published on
American artist Chaka Khan ‘and friends’ opened the 59th Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday. For over three hours, their show, dedicated to their friend and mentor Quincy Jones, thrilled the audience,
Swiss prepare for EU chill after quitting market access talks
This content was published on
After the Swiss government shelved an institutional agreement on relations with the EU, there are many questions about what happens next.
Media reacts to uncertain aftermath of EU deal failure
This content was published on
“Punk politics”, or “right decision”? The Swiss press is divided about the the government’s decision to break off negotiations 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.