- The State Secretary and EU Chief Negotiator Livia Leu, who is stepping down in the autumn, draws a positive balance of her term of office in relation to the EU.
- “Today we are in a different, better position than three years ago,” she says in an interview with the Tamedia newspapers.
After the negotiations on the institutional framework agreement with the EU were broken off in May 2021, a package approach was available after only ten months. After ten exploratory rounds and 30 technical talks since then, the Federal Council passed the benchmarks for a negotiating mandate before the summer break. “This is a very important step in the direction of negotiations,” said Leu.
The pass is played, but the ball still has to go into the goal.
The cantons are also no longer as cautious as they used to be and the trade association Economiesuisse is on board. “The unions may be a little louder with their demands, that’s their job. But something has changed,” says Leu. “The pass is played, but the ball still has to go in the goal.”
“Federal Councilor Cassis and I discussed a lot”
The fact that the Federal Council does not make the key figures of the negotiating mandate public is a negotiating tactic: “The EU always publishes its negotiating mandates. As the smaller negotiating partner, we don’t do that. We would undermine our own position if we showed from the start where we might be flexible,” said Leu.
Legend:
State Secretary Livia Leu, here at a press event on exploratory talks last October.
Archive/KEYSTONE/Peter Schneider
In an interview, Leu denied resigning from her post because of disagreements with Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. “Federal Councilor Cassis and I discussed a lot, that’s true, but always with mutual understanding and respect.” She had the choice of either changing or continuing to work in the EU dossier for another three to four years. “I found the time for a change favorable, also in the EU dossier.”
Leu over Niger and Ukraine
As State Secretary, Leu also dealt with Switzerland’s relations with the rest of the world. That is a lot of work, which has increased in recent years.
Most recently, the Swiss employees of the cooperation office in Niger had to leave the country after the coup at the end of July. “As soon as the situation allows, they will return to Niger,” said Leu. “Switzerland continues to support the Nigerien population, for example with humanitarian aid. And it is adapting its development cooperation activities to the current situation.”
We have strongly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine from the start.
In relation to Ukraine, Switzerland does not have to hide: “We have condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine in clear terms from the start,” said Leu. «The Federal Council took over the EU sanctions against Russia after a few days; such a process usually drags on for months.”
In addition, there were 420 million francs in humanitarian aid last year and the presence on site, such as when the dam broke two months ago. “Not to forget that almost 80,000 refugees have found shelter with us.”