The Federal President meets the French head of state again in Paris. Does that also help with the problems between Bern and Brussels?
In November, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte received President Ignazio Cassis in Paris.
The mood was already better when the French embassy celebrated the national holiday on July 14 in Bern. Ambassador Frédéric Journès covered up resentment over the failed Rafale deal with a charming speech. Livia Leu, State Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the other hand, addressed the differences in her guest speech in a sober Swiss manner. In addition to the decision in favor of the F-35, Paris was also annoyed by the Federal Council’s cancellation of the framework agreement. It was difficult for Swiss representatives to get an appointment with French interlocutors.
That has changed. In recent weeks, there have been several meetings between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ignazio Cassis. On Tuesday, the Swiss President will attend the Ukraine conference in the French capital at the invitation of Paris and Kiev. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA), Cassis is also present at a small group lunch.
The conference is intended to coordinate emergency aid for Ukraine in the winter months. Kiev must avoid the civilian infrastructure collapsing because of the constant Russian shelling. The Paris meeting is a follow-up to the Lugano and Berlin conferences. In Ticino, the donor countries and Ukraine laid down the principles for reconstruction in the summer.
Switzerland, as a non-EU member but a European country, is actively involved. She has a lot of know-how in the field of humanitarian aid and also supports the neighboring countries of Ukraine. In addition, it has taken in a disproportionately high number of Ukrainian refugees compared to France. However, the commitment is overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank. Bern has prohibited Berlin from passing it on to Ukraine, which causes a lack of understanding in the West.
Meeting in Prague as an icebreaker
Cassis will hardly have much time for bilateral issues when eating with Macron. Nevertheless, it is striking how often he has spoken to the French President in recent weeks. A meeting at the founding of the European Political Community in October in Prague broke the ice. In November, Macron received Cassis for bilateral talks at the Paris Peace Forum. In addition, the two spoke to each other on the sidelines of the world climate conference in Sharm al-Sheikh and the Francophonie summit in Djerba, as confirmed by the FDFA.
France has not forgotten the decision against the Rafale fighter jet. But the war in Ukraine made it clear that the two neighboring states must overcome diplomatic tensions. The atmospheric thaw allows at least small advances: Bern and Paris agreed on closer police cooperation and renewed the air policing agreement. Negotiations are currently underway on the taxation of cross-border commuters, who have been working from home more frequently since the pandemic. The interim solution found during Corona expires at the end of the year.
Hard line in European politics
France also complains about the lack of skilled workers in the border regions, especially in the health sector. Because of the high wages, French nurses and doctors often work in French-speaking Switzerland or in Basel. The fact that the free movement of people on the other side of the border leads to challenges is hardly noticed in Switzerland. On Thursday, Paris and Bern now want to set up a mixed commission, which is provided for in the bilateral health agreement.
It remains questionable whether the direct line to Macron in European policy, the most difficult foreign policy dossier, will achieve much. France is an important EU member. However, it is one of those states that are campaigning in Brussels for a hard line towards Switzerland. Macron repeatedly made it clear that there should be no “cherry picking” in the internal market. The French ambassador Journès seconded in an interview with the NZZ: “Switzerland must be aware that we have a problem.” Just because Bern broke off the negotiations did not mean that the issues that were to be dealt with in the framework agreement disappeared.