Economiesuisse wants to secure the dual track, FDP has Contingency Plan B and the Senior Vice President recommends a silent funeral.
The weight of the framework agreement now rests with Federal President Guy Barmelin.
Photo: Anthony Annex (Keystone)
The framework agreement with the European Union caused an uproar before President Guy Barmlin’s meeting with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. Economics demands a leadership role from the Federal Council in favor of the agreement, the Democratic Unionist Party presents an emergency plan B and the first vice president recommends a silent funeral.
Economic organizations and the Swiss Employers Association are calling on the federal council to quickly clarify sticking points with the EU leadership, according to a call Saturday. It is in the entire interest of the state to secure the bilateral path to the future.
Both sides have a strong economic interest in finding a solution on the three open points of state assistance, accompanying measures and union citizenship. Successful talks are a prerequisite for a framework agreement to create the necessary political majority in the Bundesrat.
The Swiss Democratic Federal Party presented, on Friday evening, at an exceptional meeting of the parliamentary group, a three-pillar action plan in the event that the Federal Council rejects the outcome of negotiations on a framework agreement with the European Union.
She added in a letter that the Federal Council must continue negotiations in order to find a solution to secure bilateral agreements. For FDP, the binary path is still the magic bullet. It guarantees Switzerland’s participation in the internal market and thus prosperity.
FDP with a three-pillar business plan
The FDP supported the framework agreement on the condition that clarifications be achieved in the three areas of wage protection, union directives for citizens and the guillotine clause. In the event that the outcome of the negotiations is rejected, alternatives must be prepared to secure the bilateral track.
In this context, the FDP presents a three-pillar action plan. The first pillar concerns international measures with the European Union, such as the limited dynamic in bilateral relations. The condition is that the European Union does not identify weaknesses and dismantle other agreements.
In contrast, open points can be included as cohesion payments. Moreover, within the framework of the third bilateral agreement, new agreements, for example in the electricity market and the healthcare sector, could be integrated into a new contract package.
Pillar two includes international measures independent of the European Union. Switzerland should actively seek partnerships with countries outside the European Union, for example with South America Mercosur, with India or the USA, and encourage research and innovation.
National actions constitute the third pillar. According to the FDP, Switzerland must exhaust all measures it can unilaterally implement in order to mitigate the negative consequences of the failure of a framework agreement with the European Union.
These included, for example, the implementation of the National Fitness Program, and compensation measures such as alternatives to stock market equalization or independent implementation in order to ease the regulatory burden on the economy. Standalone mods are also included.
Senior Vice President calls for a “moral burial”
The total rejection is the position of Senior Vice President. The Federal Council must “finally pour pure wine” on the European Union and make it clear that Switzerland “will never sacrifice its freedom and independence for this bidding contract,” according to a statement released on Saturday. Institutional Agreement (InstA) belongs “now immediately and definitively in the diplomatic trash.”
In order to prevent Switzerland from getting on its knees in front of Brussels, the Federal Council must make it obligatory not to initiate new negotiations on any institutional bond of any kind. The revision of the 1972 Free Trade Agreement, which regulates trade relations between Switzerland and the European Union and guarantees free market access, is not on the table.
On the other hand, the party affirms that the First Vice President clearly supports bilateral relations with the European Union. However, this must be done “on an equal footing” and should not include either automatic adoption of European Union law or a “submission” to the European Court of Justice.
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