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Switzerland EU deal: Swiss to use funding to EU countries as a leverage

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Bradlux

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The bold move, which is “in line with Switzerland’s bilateral relations with the EU”, was announced after the Swiss Federal Council met on Wednesday and decided to start the consultation procedure on the contribution.

The funding would be directed to the 13 countries which joined the bloc after 2014 and are economically weaker when compared to the rest of Europe.

Justifying the offer as an “investment in security, stability and prosperity”, Bern said to be ready to send the EU CHF 1,302 million (£967 million).

In a statement, the Swiss government said: “With this contribution, Switzerland aims to continue to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities in the EU member states.

http://worldabcnews.com/switzerland...ing-to-eu-countries-as-a-leverage-world-news/
 
The important thing to note here is that Switzerland is not a member of the EU.
 
Unlike the UK, Switzerland knows that good will on top of their access fee is needed to maintain good will and continued access to the trading bloc.
 
DaveFagan said:
The important thing to note here is that Switzerland is not a member of the EU.
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Switzerland pays to gain access to the EU - like a person who wants access to an exclusive club however they don't have the same voting rights as a permanent member of that club. This is the status the UK is heading for. Switzerland also had to accept some EU standards like free movement across its borders to maintain access - though there may be a change if the next referendum goes against the govt..

Switzerland however probably took decades to sort the 140+ bilateral agreements it has with the EU.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
Switzerland pays to gain access to the EU - like a person who wants access to an exclusive club however they don't have the same voting rights as a permanent member of that club. This is the status the UK is heading for. Switzerland also had to accept some EU standards like free movement across its borders to maintain access - though there may be a change if the next referendum goes against the govt..

Switzerland however probably took decades to sort the 140+ bilateral agreements it has with the EU.
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I always thought Switzerland's neutrality meant they were a pacifist Nation. Their neutrality allows them to do business with both sides during wars and that is the driver behind the neutrality. It allows B.I.S. (The Reserve Bank of Reserve Banks) to profit handsomely from wars.) This banking power is the likely reason Switzerland doesn't want to join the EU.
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DaveFagan said:
I always thought Switzerland's neutrality meant they were a pacifist Nation. Their neutrality allows them to do business with both sides during wars and that is the driver behind the neutrality. It allows B.I.S. (The Reserve Bank of Reserve Banks) to profit handsomely from wars.) This banking power is the likely reason Switzerland doesn't want to join the EU.
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That actually makes sense.

Before anyone thinks Switzerland is the right winger's dream, they tax your savings there. They get you when you earn it, they get you when you spend it, leave to your kids and they get you on your annual net worth.
 
If Germany is considered like the engine of EU, Switzerland is the fuel.
 
DaveFagan said:
I always thought Switzerland's neutrality meant they were a pacifist Nation. Their neutrality allows them to do business with both sides during wars and that is the driver behind the neutrality. It allows B.I.S. (The Reserve Bank of Reserve Banks) to profit handsomely from wars.) This banking power is the likely reason Switzerland doesn't want to join the EU.
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Firstly I doubt Swiss neutrality is necessarily the same as Swiss pacifism. Secondly, the Swiss public basically voted in 1992 against further steps to join the EU - I don't think they were looking at the banks when they made their decisions.
 
DaveFagan said:
I always thought Switzerland's neutrality meant they were a pacifist Nation. Their neutrality allows them to do business with both sides during wars and that is the driver behind the neutrality. It allows B.I.S. (The Reserve Bank of Reserve Banks) to profit handsomely from wars.) This banking power is the likely reason Switzerland doesn't want to join the EU.
/
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Allow me to teach you some Swiss history, I am now studying in Switzerland and have been reading quite a lot about Swiss history so I think I can provide some background.

Swiss neutrality has been an unofficial policy for centuries before anything resembling a banking system existed period, let alone an international one. Because Switzerland was surrounded by large powers that could wipe the floor with Switzerland if they wanted to. Napoleon did just that. Official neutrality was enshrined later for similar reasons.

Now for the World Wars. World War 1 was a disaster for Switzerland, widespread hunger, a butchered mobilization, religious and linguistic tension, etc. In fact it almost led to revolution and a collapse of the government. Not exactly in line with your theory. World War 2 went much better for the Swiss especially as revealed decades later, the Swiss government was full of Nazi sympathizers mainly due to linguistic and political likemindedness. There was also much better mobilization and no food shortages.

The real reason it does not want to join the EU is a culture of independence and neutrality that has been ingrained in Swiss culture for longer than the US has even existed. It also has a right-wing leaning euroskeptic party that even predates the EU. That party is currently the largest in Parliament.

I hope this gives you some helpful information and helps dispell some conspiracy theories.
 
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Fearandloathing said:
That actually makes sense.

Before anyone thinks Switzerland is the right winger's dream, they tax your savings there. They get you when you earn it, they get you when you spend it, leave to your kids and they get you on your annual net worth.
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See post above.
 
Carjosse said:
~ Because Switzerland was surrounded by large powers that could wipe the floor with Switzerland if they wanted to. Napoleon did just that ~
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The Swiss had been very successful mercenaries before the major loss at Battle of Marignano in 1515 (Napoleonic Wars). Swiss soldiers defended French Kings and even now, a battalion serves at the Vatican as guard for the Pope.

Nonetheless, Swiss troops haven't been tested in centuries so old reputations may not be accurate in modern scenario.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
The Swiss had been very successful mercenaries before the major loss at Battle of Marignano in 1515 (Napoleonic Wars). Swiss soldiers defended French Kings and even now, a battalion serves at the Vatican as guard for the Pope.

Nonetheless, Swiss troops haven't been tested in centuries so old reputations may not be accurate in modern scenario.
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You can't very well lend out mercenaries if you are not neutral. And Switzerland would not exactly stand up to a dedicated war effort or alliance against them. They never really fought in sustained warfare.
 
Carjosse said:
You can't very well lend out mercenaries if you are not neutral. And Switzerland would not exactly stand up to a dedicated war effort or alliance against them. They never really fought in sustained warfare.
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The time of Swiss mercenaries being pretty good warriors predates neutrality. As for sustained warfare - not on Swiss soil in the last 700 years or so but fighting in other people's wars? The mercenaries certainly did.

Like I said, they had a fearsome reputation which is why the French and Venetians used modern explosive weapons against their pikemen in the last major battle.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
The time of Swiss mercenaries being pretty good warriors predates neutrality. As for sustained warfare - not on Swiss soil in the last 700 years or so but fighting in other people's wars? The mercenaries certainly did.

Like I said, they had a fearsome reputation which is why the French and Venetians used modern explosive weapons against their pikemen in the last major battle.
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It does but they eventually learned being (at least partially) neutral helps with that.
 
Carjosse said:
It does but they eventually learned being (at least partially) neutral helps with that.
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I think you may have the wrong idea of Swiss military history and neutrality. I am aware you live there now, but I also visit frequently and have relatives living there.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
I think you may have the wrong idea of Swiss military history and neutrality. I am aware you live there now, but I also visit frequently and have relatives living there.
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Back in the Middle Ages, the Swiss were very good at winning wars. So good that they turned it into a thriving business. “Basically [mercenary service] was due to economic reasons,” said Laurent Goetschel, professor of political science at University of Basel and director of the research institute Swisspeace. “[The old Swiss confederacy] was a very poor country – it was not suitable for large-scale farming and it had no access to colonial resources and no sea access, so being mercenaries was just a source of income.”

And the Swiss were reliable winners, so it continued to be a good source of income – until they lost. The reckoning came at the Battle of Marignano in 1515 when the French and Venetians arrived with artillery and armoured cavalry, and the Swiss brought pikes and spears. Sadly, technology had passed them by.

“After that defeat, they realised they were good soldiers in their way but halberds are not much good against artillery,” Church said. “They then stepped back from getting involved in Europe’s major political things.” Instead, the Swiss rented themselves out almost exclusively to France, which kept them in the black and also solved the inconvenience of occasionally finding themselves on two sides of the same battle. “It didn’t happen all the time but when it did happen, it was extraordinarily worrying and encouraged moves to neutrality,” Church said.

The Swiss had fought too many wars on too many sides to be able to safely pick one for the long haul

During this time, it became clear that the Swiss had fought too many wars on too many sides to be able to safely pick one for the long haul, especially when all the big powers wanted Switzerland for themselves because of the country’s strategic location guarding the Alps. So when the Congress of Vienna met in 1814–15 to sort out European peace after the French Revolutionary War (during which the Swiss had continued to serve as hired bodyguards for the French monarchy, including the last king, Louis XVI) and the Napoleonic Wars (during which the French invaded Switzerland and broke up the old confederacy), the Swiss put forth an elegant win-win solution for the whole continent: let us be neutral. This validation was key. As Goetschel points out, “Neutrality only makes sense if the other powers recognise you.”
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From here. It wasn't official neutrality but unofficial moves towards it.
 
Carjosse said:
From here. It wasn't official neutrality but unofficial moves towards it.
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Yes, that comment also comes from the BBC source I gave earlier in the thread - regarding the successful military past and Swiss mercenaries.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
Yes, that comment also comes from the BBC source I gave earlier in the thread - regarding the successful military past and Swiss mercenaries.
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I think we are misunderstanding each other here. Exactly things went well, till they lost and a culture of neutrality began.
 
Carjosse said:
I think we are misunderstanding each other here. Exactly things went well, till they lost and a culture of neutrality began.
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Yup, we were saying similar things.
 
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