Marcus Dith calls for contract with EU

Supporters of the EU treaty package have been conspicuously silent. Now, the president of the Swiss cantonal governments has explained in a speech why the Swiss cantons absolutely need the agreement. But Markus Dieth did not talk about two sensitive points.

Francesco Bernini/ch media

Opponents of the EU treaty package have received far more media coverage than supporters in recent months. The fact that Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has not spoken about the issue for more than a year has contributed to this situation.

Now the top representatives of the states at the University of Zurich are passionately calling for a contract with Brussels. Markus Dieth (centre) is Chairman of the Allgäu Region, Finance Director and Chairman of the Conference of State Governments. He recalled that the conference was launched in 1993, a year after the European Economic Area was rejected.

The aim is to ensure that states have a say in their relations with the EU. The Federal Constitution provides: “The states shall participate in the formulation of foreign policy decisions affecting their responsibilities or fundamental interests.”

“Negotiations with the EU are progressing well”

Diess then emphasized that neighboring countries and the EU are and remain Switzerland's most important trading partners. The trade volume with the German state of Baden-Württemberg alone is higher than that with India.

Not only large multinational companies but also innovative SMEs benefit from unhindered market access in Europe. One study shows that seven of the ten European regions that benefit most from the internal market are in Switzerland.

To date, more than 140 rounds of negotiations on the contract package have been held with the European Commission, with the states closely involved. “From the states' perspective, the negotiations so far have been going well and, I would also say, pleasantly,” Death stressed.

How did the state’s top representative come to such a verdict? First, the new package does not regulate institutional issues in a single agreement, but regulates institutional elements in various internal market agreements. Secondly, the so-called super guillotine has been eliminated. Third, new market agreements are planned in the areas of research, health and electricity, which will achieve a wider balance of interests.

Diess, the district president who politicized for the Center Party, ultimately rejected the argument that the treaty limited Swiss sovereignty. Democratic rights at all levels are preserved. And: “There will be no foreign judges.”

So far, only the cantons of Schwyz and Nidwalden have been excluded

If a dispute arises, it is not the Court of Justice of the European Union that decides, but an arbitral tribunal composed of equal representatives. It will consult the European Court of Justice if a dispute between Switzerland and the EU involves issues of EU law and whether the interpretation of EU law is relevant to the assessment of the dispute. “The dispute itself is always decided by the arbitration tribunal.” If one party fails to comply with the court's ruling, the other party can take “corresponding compensatory measures.”

Dith stressed that it is crucial for states to build stable, long-term relationships with their neighbors and the EU. However, he failed to mention two sensitive points in his speech: Diess neither discussed the Federal Council's request for specific protection clauses in response to high immigration numbers, nor took a position on whether the contract package should be approved by the Federal Council. Most states did not hold referendums.

In recent years, the Conference of State Governments has repeatedly expressed support for a contract with Brussels. In 2023, the conference unanimously welcomed new negotiations with the EU. In February 2024, the Commission approved the Federal Council’s negotiating guidelines. But this no longer happened simultaneously: the canton of Schwyz opposed the declaration and the canton of Niederwalden abstained. (aargauerzeitung.ch)

The United States is the oldest democracy in the world, so the country also has a very old constitution. It was founded in 1787, and to many Americans it remains the best thing this country has to produce.