Press Interpreter

10/05/05 –- Pressure on the European policy of the Swiss Federal Council (Bundesrat) has been increased by the National Council (Nationalrat). A group of 20 representatives from across the political spectrum (liberals, Christian-democrats and nationalists) has filed a motion demanding the withdrawal of Switzerland’s EU membership request.

The motion states that the membership request has lost its domestic legitimacy since the recent European referenda. Respect for the unmistakable will of the people would command that the Federal Council focus on the bilateral avenue. The motion also urges the Federal Council to give up the strategic goal of EU membership. The political development of the EU since 1992 would in case of membership considerably affect Switzerland’s neutrality, its federalism, its direct democracy and its leeway in economic policy, it is submitted.

Bilateralism would be the best way. Thanks to Switzerland’s independent monetary, fiscal and labor market policies, its comparative strengths would be better guaranteed. The withdrawal of the request would build confidence and facilitate domestic and economic policy reforms.

The motion argues that the withdrawal would not cause significant effects in foreign policy terms, since the EU would realize that the peculiarities of Switzerland are hard to reconcile with the European project. A re-assessment of the situation would be subject to change. The nationalist party SVP had already filed a similar motion in June after the Swiss referendum on the Schengen/Dublin agreements.

The Federal Council will discuss its position during a closed session on Switzerland’s European policy in late October or early November.

[Full Article]

[This article appeared in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung is one of the world’s oldest daily newspapers. It was established as the Zürcher Zeitung in 1780 and changed its name to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821. It is Switzerland’s largest intellectual newspaper (159 000 copies) and is considered as the world’s best German-language newspaper. It focuses on foreign policy, the economy and the region of Zürich (Switzerland’s largest city). It is close to the Swiss liberal-conservative party FDP, the chairman of which sits on its board.]

--Translated by Cedric Ryngaert

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