Martullo-Blocher accuses three parties of betraying Switzerland over EU deal

SVP vice-president Magdalena Martullo-Blocher accused the FDP, Centre and Social Democrats of betraying Switzerland over the EU treaty package, as guests debated whether it should require approval by both voters and cantons. SRF reported on the discussion in its Friday edition of the political programme Arena.

The Council of States, parliament’s upper house, decided this week that the package should be subject to a double majority. The National Council is expected to consider the issue during the winter session.

Social Democratic vice-president Jon Pult said the question was ultimately a legal one. In his view, the constitution does not require a double majority because the agreements do not involve joining a defence alliance or a supranational community. He said the process should follow the same approach as the earlier bilateral agreements, arguing that changing the rules now would be unfair.

Martullo-Blocher said the package would significantly affect Switzerland’s structures and provide for automatic adoption of EU law. She argued that this would transfer power from the Swiss people and cantons to the EU, and said voters must be able to decide. For that reason, she said, the package should require a double majority.

FDP National Councillor Beat Walti said “dynamic adoption” was a more accurate term than automatic adoption. If the EU changed the basis of the agreements, Switzerland would have to negotiate an update, he said, giving it an opportunity to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. Centre Senator Andrea Gmür agreed and said Switzerland could call a referendum if it disagreed with a change.

Gmür said she did not support every part of the package but argued that it came down to whether Switzerland wanted access to the market. With geopolitical risks rising, she said, it was important to have stable relations with close partners. Marco Sieber, a member of the organisation Kompass Europa, countered that the package would not improve market access. He said Switzerland would instead be tying itself to an EU he described as overly bureaucratic and falling behind.

The programme also discussed the succession to Guy Parmelin, who announced on Friday that he would step down from the Federal Council at the end of 2026. Martullo-Blocher suggested the EU package could have been one factor in his decision. She said the SVP had strong potential candidates and that she did not expect her own candidacy to be necessary. The replacement election is scheduled for the winter session in December.