Bilateral negotiations with the European Union are progressing rapidly. According to several sources cross-checked by SRF, the Federal Council decided on Friday to divide the package of future bilateral agreements into four “tranches”. The people could therefore be required to vote four times.
After the abandonment of negotiations on a framework agreement in 2021, the Federal Council wanted a package encompassing several agreements. Thus, there would have been only one major popular vote.
During its session last Friday, however, the government decided to separate this set of agreements into several pieces.
Several points of view
Questioned by La RTS, UDC national advisor Pierre-André Page does not see the measure favorably and denounces a “salami tactic”.
“We have always been clear: we want [seule] vote on the issue with the European Union and not a few aspects one after the other to discourage the population from voting. Four items for voting mean four referendums, four signature collections, so a lot of work for us. I think the Federal Council is trying to discourage us,” argues the Fribourgeois in La Matinale.
His centrist colleague Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter does not agree. “Parliament and the people must have the opportunity to vote on these various decisions and to take up the referendum,” declared the elected official from Basel-Landschaft. to our German-speaking colleagues. In his view, it is important that the controversial points of the package with the EU can be dealt with separately.
Rumor has it in Bern that the Federal Council will announce the conclusion of negotiations with Brussels on Friday. However, it is not certain that the government will also inform about the splitting of the package, warns SRF.
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