The silence followed the bang. After the Federal Council abruptly ended negotiations on the framework agreement with the EU on May 26th, nothing was heard from the Federal Council parties in matters of Europe for a long time. Only the SVP celebrated the termination of negotiations with a series of bonfires.
The Federal Council was not in a hurry with a plan B. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (60) stated in August that a “common definition of the altitude of our regular relations” cannot be expected before 2024. In other words: a European strategy by the Federal Council is unlikely to be available for another three years.
Is there a threat of a power shortage?
This week the news broke into this Federal Bernese sluggishness that Switzerland is threatened with a wintry electricity shortage from 2025 – under unfavorable circumstances. This message does not come completely unexpectedly. Nevertheless, it has made the consequences of a failed framework agreement clearer than all the lamentations of the affected industries before.
The bourgeois camp is at a loss as to how the relationship with the EU should be shaped in the future.
The Federal Council must act
The FDP primarily sees the entire Federal Council as having a duty. “He has to analyze what was wrong with the eight-year negotiation process and why the EU does not want to understand us at all,” says Council of States Damian Müller (36). “Then he has to make new suggestions.”
It is of no use if each party makes some kind of media-effective suggestions on how to shape the relationship with the Union, says Müller. “Then we have the same mess as with the framework agreement.” He contradicts the accusation of stealing from responsibility with reference to the party’s “three-pillar action plan”, which among other things calls for the conclusion of a third bilateral package, including an electricity agreement.
In contrast to the FDP, the center party has been practically actionist since this week. In an interview with the “Aargauer Zeitung”, President Gerhard Pfister (59) brought up the idea of an “electricity neat” in order to create goodwill in the EU: Switzerland should expand the high-voltage lines from Basel to Chiasso and, in return, demand that they treated by the EU in matters of security of supply “on an equal footing”.
Electricity agreement seems necessary
However, inquiries with the network operator Swissgrid show that this is a rather unrealistic scenario. Not only because Italy and Germany, for their part, would have to expand lines so that an electricity neat would make sense. The period of up to 30 years until the commissioning of a new high-voltage line also makes it hardly suitable as a bargaining chip.
Similar to the FDP, the center is also in favor of dissolving the blockade with the EU on a sectoral basis. In other words: to negotiate an electricity agreement that also regulates the issue of dispute resolution.
The problem: The EU has so far categorically refused to conclude new treaties as long as the institutional issues have not been settled. It is unlikely that Brussels will suddenly come towards Switzerland.
Perplexity with bourgeois parties
While helplessness and restlessness are spreading in the bourgeois camp, the SP sees the time to close its ranks – after offending a large part of its own electorate with its no to the framework agreement.
Two months ago, the SP and its sister parties from Germany, Austria, France and Italy made an appeal to Bern and Brussels. “It is the first time that a Swiss party has developed a common stance with its sister parties in European politics,” said SP National Councilor Jon Pult (37), emphasizing the importance of this declaration.
Under his leadership, an internal party working group is currently developing proposals on how the blockade in relation to the EU should be resolved. Concrete solutions are not yet available. The working group intends to present its results to the party leadership at the beginning of 2022. In October, the entire party is supposed to deal with it.
SP wants to be a constructive force again
While the SP wants to come back into play as a constructive force on the European question, Foreign Minister Cassis cannot say this. So far, he has not made any detailed proposals. According to reports, however, the entire Federal Council is also shying away from bringing the EU issues back on the table.
After all, Cassis wants to hold talks with European political actors at home in the near future, as the FDFA confirmed on request. An initial exchange on relations between Switzerland and the EU is planned with representatives from the fields of business, science and civil society, including the campaign for an independent and neutral Switzerland (Auns), the Kompass / Europe group and Swissuniversities.
You could also put it another way: Before Switzerland speaks to Europe, it first wants to talk to itself. It remains to be seen whether this will result in a more harmonious concert or another cacophony.