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The Foreign Policy Commission (APK) of the National Council is already discussing how the framework agreement can be buried. But Cassis says the negotiations are not over yet.
Swiss chief negotiator Livia Leu has already negotiated with Brussels five times. Originally, the EU noted concessions on several points. Clarifications of the current text of the contract in the field of wage protection, state aid and the Directive of the citizens of the Union. But the EU is barely moving, several Swiss sources complain.
Even on the three critical points from the Swiss point of view, there is no room for negotiation. A sixth round of negotiations is still planned, but in fact the talks have already failed, according to well-informed sources.
Cassis: “We are looking for a way”
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis reported on Monday to the Foreign Relations Commission of the National Council on the status of the negotiations. The agreement has not yet failed. “We are currently discussing very intensively in Brussels,” Cassis tells SRF, “we are looking for a way to resolve this framework agreement.”
However, many in the Committee on Foreign Affairs are no longer very optimistic. “I suppose no more solutions can be found,” says Central National Councilor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter. And the SVP National Councilor Franz Grüter twice later: “The time has come when this framework agreement must be buried.”
Parliamentarians want their opinion
But should the Federal Council bury the deal on its own? No, thinks Liberal Green National Councilor Roland Fischer. Parliament should be able to say: “It cannot be that the Federal Council is the only one to decide this agreement in secret.”
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council on Monday dealt with the Green Liberals’ demand for a voice in parliament. Most of the application was rejected. FDP National Councilor Hans-Peter Portmann believes that it would be sufficient for the Federal Council to consult the foreign policy committees before any “end of the exercise”. And Chancellor Cassis had assured that the Federal Council would do the same.
Cassis wants to talk to Brussels
But for Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, such considerations are actually too early. Negotiations at the technical level were still taking place with the EU, among the main negotiators. Then there would be another political solution. He, Cassis, will undoubtedly have talks with Brussels: “I will speak to the European Union partners myself as soon as the time comes.”
Perhaps the political solution, the breakthrough, the miracle will succeed after all. Even if the chances of this are likely to be pretty slim.
