In Switzerland, there is resistance to EU deals on both the left and right. On the right concern tends to be focused on loss of self determination, cultural erosion and overcrowding. On the left, key sticking points are loss of trade protection and wage dumping. This week, progress was made on wage protection, reported RTS.
The Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), the main party on the right, and Switzerland’s largest party, has made it clear that it is strongly opposed to any deal with the EU. This means any majority will need to include support from the left in addition to from those in the centre.
This week, Guy Parmelin, Switzerland’s economics minister, spoke of an initial breakthrough on winning support from politicians on the left. However, a spokesperson from the trade union association Travailsuisse said the wage protection measures agreed so far are not a breakthrough, but merely early steps in the right direction. Despite this negativity, an acknowledgement of progress is significant. In December 2024, union chief Pierre-Yves Maillard described the EU deal as unacceptable.
Key elements of the emerging consensus include guaranteeing collective wage agreements and boosting legal protection for companies subject to such wage agreements. These are aimed, in particular, at rules in the recent deal reached with the EU related to EU companies that send workers to Switzerland. One challenge is to find solutions that don’t restrict local companies or interfere with Switzerland’s flexible labour market, one of Switzerland’s great economic strengths.
Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) will now look in greater detail at the latest proposal with unions and cantonal governments and report back to Bern between now and the end of March.
If a solution acceptable to Swiss unions, the federal government and Brussels can be found, the chance of a majority of the Swiss public supporting the new EU deal will rise substantially.
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