In an interview published in the SonntagsZeitung paper on Sunday, Cassis stressed that both sides have an interest in stable relations. Around 1.4 million EU citizens live in Switzerland, which is also the EU’s fourth largest trading partner.
“Unstable relations are not a long-term solution, either for us or for the EU,” said the president and foreign minister.
He acknowledged that the EU is trying to exert pressure on Switzerland by creating political ties and said that Switzerland must resist this pressure.
“We cannot simply abandon our principles, take wage protection and immigration lightly and put social harmony at risk,” he said.
An example Cassis used to illustrate the pressure exerted by the EU is discrimination in the fields of research and medical technology. In this way, the EU is also harming its own citizens, for example by reducing the choice of products in the field of medical technology, but also weakening the European research cluster, the Minister added.
Broader approach
In planning its future relationship with the EU, Cassis wants Switzerland to move away from “purely technical and institutional issues”.
“Only when we have enriched the content, when politics and society recognise the material gains that Switzerland can expect, will an institutional rapprochement be accepted,” he said.
According to Cassis, there are many such opportunities to deepen relations with the EU, for example in the areas of health, research, media or culture. The government is also listening to the ideas and proposals of civil society, he said. He referred to two roundtable sessions, including one held this week, where different points of view were discussed.
However, differences on how to move ahead with the relationship with the EU remain significant, said Cassis. He added that “if this were not the case, we would probably have solved the problem long ago”.
Last May, Switzerland decided to walk away from lengthy negotiations on an overarching institutional agreement with the EU to establish a new set of rules governing future bilateral relations.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
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?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
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.