Switzerland was due to announce today (Friday 20 December) the conclusion of a new set of agreements with the European Union that would finally re-establish and stabilize ties with the EU.
However, the government's green light, after years of sometimes hostile negotiations, is only the first step in recalibrating relations between the wealthy Alpine nation and its main trading partner.
The Swiss parliament will also have a say – with the country's main party fiercely opposed to any rapprochement with the EU – and citizens likely to have the final say in a referendum.
Bern and Brussels are seeking to simplify and harmonize their ties, currently governed by a tangle of more than 120 separate agreements.
Relations took a nosedive when Switzerland suddenly and without warning slammed the door on negotiations in 2021.
Talks resumed in March, with the aim of finalizing a deal by the end of the year.
Progress in talks between Switzerland and the European Union
Negotiations between Switzerland and the European Union on a deal to recalibrate and “stabilize” their ties have made progress and the two sides aim to conclude talks within the year, Bern said on Wednesday (27 November) after a…
Unlike previous attempts to sign a comprehensive framework agreement, the current negotiations sought to update existing agreements and conclude new ones on topics such as electricity, health and food safety.
A delicate balance
In recent days, Swiss media cited diplomatic sources as saying all issues had been agreed, except for the amount Switzerland should pay to the EU's Cohesion Fund, aimed at reducing economic and social disparities in the bloc.
A European diplomatic source said a new round of discussions on Tuesday “took place in a very positive atmosphere.”
“Now that an agreement is in sight, we hope that Switzerland is ready to proceed. We believe we have achieved a very delicate balance, which should be appreciated by all parties.”
According to media reports, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen will visit Bern before Christmas.
The road to get to this point has already been long: around 200 negotiating meetings have taken place.
European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said on X on Tuesday that “only a few questions remain open. Our goal is to bring the talks to the finish line.”
A long stalemate in the talks – which would now be resolved – was Switzerland's stubborn attempt to obtain an exemption from the free movement of people between EU countries.
'Total submission'
Fearing that it would be difficult to win over voters, Bern changed strategy last week and split the package of agreements into four separate “chunks”, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
Each slice could be put to a referendum separately, in the hope that it would be easier to win support on each set of issues rather than on a broad package.
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The Swiss People's Party (SVP), Switzerland's largest party, strongly opposes closer ties with the EU and is intensifying its opposition.
The party warned that the “subordination treaty” under discussion “would mean the total submission of Switzerland to the EU”, accusing Bern of adopting European law and denouncing the planned creation of an “arbitral tribunal” to resolve any differences.
The Swiss Trade Union Federation (USS), the country's largest trade union organisation, has already called for further negotiations, warning that the deal in its current form risks hitting Swiss wages.
Unions have also expressed concern about the potential impact on Switzerland's rail and electricity sectors.
The Swiss economic federation Economiesuisse is instead in favor of an agreement.
According to the association, an agreement “would allow Switzerland to maintain current conditions, allowing its economy to access the European market and develop in important sectors”.
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