Guy Parmelin took over as Swiss President on January 1, marking a new chapter for the country that coincides with the UK’s Brexit deal being implemented. Switzerland and the UK have both been locked in their own set of negotiations with Brussels – the UK over its departure from the EU, and Switzerland over its future relationship with the bloc. The country currently has a close trading relationship with the EU, but this is formed through just 120 treaties. As Bern and Brussels continue to grapple over financial services, research and other issues, Mr Parmelin could ditch the EU in favour of a UK-Switzerland partnership.
Or, at least that is what he warned in 2019 when he was the Swiss finance minister.
As talks stalled, he said: “We want a good solution that can win majority support, and that is not the case at the moment.
“I don’t think we can wrap up this year. Our agenda and that of the EU allow a conclusion only next year at the earliest.
“I think the EU would weaken itself if it no longer cooperated with Switzerland on research.
“We are then forced to seek alternatives, perhaps along with Britain, if the EU remains dogmatic.”
Switzerland is currently negotiating with the EU over an institutional framework agreement.
Negotiations for the partnership began in 2014, but are still to reach a formal conclusion.
It appears Brexit has offered encouragement to some in the country, as a committee of entrepreneurs in Switzerland wrote a statement claiming that the UK’s deal shows that Bern can take on the EU in the next round of negotiations.
They said: “Overall, the sovereignty policy issues in the Brexit negotiations were largely settled in the way Autonomiesuisse is seeking for the Switzerland-EU framework agreement.
“The Brexit agreement shows that there is potential for negotiation with Brussels.”
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The Swiss Government had already started its application process for EU membership that year, but these plans were upended by the EEA referendum.
The result sent shockwaves through Europe, as 50.3 percent voted against the idea of joining the EEA, leaving the EU’s hopes of expansion in tatters.
In 2016, after years of deadlock, the EU’s disaster was compounded as Switzerland voted to withdraw the country’s application for membership.
