The “File-Eater”, “Big Maroš” or “Sausage King of Brussels”—when the European Union (EU) and Britain negotiated the export of meat products to Northern Ireland—are the nicknames of the ambitious 55-year-old Slovak. His task is clear: to replace the current more than 120 bilateral deals with Switzerland that have been hammered out over decades with a foundational set of principles.
The talks on a new framework treaty broke down in 2021 when Switzerland walked away from the negotiating table. It meant the end of seven years of effort. Three key points have hampered progress since a deal was drafted in 2018: salary protection, state aid rules, and the access of EU citizens to Swiss social security benefits.
EU: ready to agree to Exceptions
Back in 2021, Šefčovič declared that the Swiss were expected to come up with “concrete and credible proposals” on how they would solve the bilateral problems that would not be solved by the end of the Framework Agreement. “It is also necessary to talk about when Bern would pay the third cohesion billion in EUR in order to benefit from the advantages of the common internal market”, Brussels was heard.
The seriousness of the situation and the urgency of the diplomat confirmed Šefčovič´s working visit in Bern on March 2023. The diplomatic initiative was a unilateral push by the commissioner, as he had not initially been invited by the Swiss government, which is internally divided on the issue. Instead, he accepted an invitation to deliver a speech at the University of Fribourg, situated just south of the Swiss capital, Bern.
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“We have shown that we are ready to agree to exceptions that are specific to the bilateral relationship between the EU and Switzerland, for instance, addressing any risk that EU citizens move to Switzerland just to benefit from social security. We can reach a compromise if Switzerland is sensitive to our concerns, notably the impact of our bilateral arrangements on the dynamic within the EU. I am confident that we can find that balance”, declared Šefčovič in his speech.
According to the news website Euractiv, after a dinner between Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and Šefčovič, the Swiss foreign affairs department said that the work towards a common understanding had “achieved some progress.” But the statement also said that “a number of outstanding issues remain, which will require efforts from both sides.”
Agreement by Summer 2024?
It is obvious that the plans of Maroš Šefčovič are bold: what his predecessors failed to achieve in seven years, he wants to accomplish in one year. During his visit to Switzerland on March 16th, 2023, the Vice President said he wanted to agree on the institutional questions by the summer of 2024, as a new college of commissioners would take over in the autumn of 2024.
As the news website SWI notes, the EU is aware of the federal elections at the end of October 2023. Vice President Šefčovič said, “We respect that.” He therefore wants to talk about a roadmap for after the elections and to “increase the chances and the possibility of a successful outcome of the negotiations”. This would be the “best possible news for the EU and Switzerland”. Thus, “Mister Schweiz” continues pushing the other side into activity.
