​Opening address from National Council President Christa Markwalder

The spoken word applies

Madam President
Minister
Ambassador
Ladies and gentlemen,

I have been looking forward to my trip to Romania – and was also curious to visit this country, which, although some 1400 (fourteen hundred) kilometres from Switzerland, may not be so different from my country. After all, three of Switzerland’s four national languages have the same roots as Romanian and both our countries are members of the Francophone community – though ironically I am speaking English as I draw these parallels.

Enlargement contribution

In recent years, we Swiss have managed to arouse Romanian interest in our country through the positive impact of our Eastern European enlargement contribution. Financed by this scheme, a range of individual projects have been or are currently being carried out in the areas of economic growth and employment, education, social and public security, the environment and civil society. Independent experts have given the Swiss enlargement contribution top marks for relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. This is good news, of course, not least for the people of Switzerland, who voted in favour of the enlargement contribution for the former Eastern-bloc countries.

Providing support and expertise is not a one-way process for Switzerland: by working with other countries, we too have the opportunity to expand our horizons, to learn about other different cultures, ways of solving problems, and points of view. And ultimately it is in our interest to provide assistance, so that prospects improve and an economic upturn is sparked that brings benefits to the population at large.

Swiss view of the Romanian economy

Romania is currently going through an extremely interesting phase, with a highly dynamic economy and radical ongoing changes in the business environment.

The signals coming to us from Romania are particularly interesting; political and above all economic indicators are highly positive; the forecast for growth recently issued by the IMF, 4.2 per cent, is most welcome. Romania’s competitiveness has improved considerably. On meeting several Swiss investors last night, I noticed their enthusiasm for working in such a dynamic environment. They regard Romania as a country with enormous economic potential. Switzerland also recognises this potential, and so ranks seventh for direct foreign investment in Romania.

A few months ago, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung published an article by Oliver Jens Schmitt, Professor of Eastern European History at the University of Vienna. In it, he said: "This country is seeking to embrace democracy and the rule of law in a manner that is contrary to the political climate in Europe. In its geopolitical environment, Romania has suddenly become an anchor of stability." But Schmitt also wrote: "Romania is far from being out of the woods."

We applaud the many steps that Romania is taking to progress and will monitor developments closely.

Features of the Swiss economy

Ladies and gentlemen

In Switzerland, the general conditions for economic activity are rather different to those here in Romania. The reasons for this are historical, certainly, but not solely. Switzerland is a small country that has no significant natural resources to rely on; the Alps, extremely difficult terrain, cover 61% of its territory. It has therefore had to find alternative ways of developing its economy to become the country that it is today, one whose economic power well outweighs its size.

I would like to mention a few factors that contribute to this state of affairs.

The Swiss economy is highly globalised: whatever indicator you use, the Swiss economy is always regarded as one of the most open in the world. Due to its lack of natural resources, Switzerland has no alternative but to be very outward-looking.

The factors that contribute to Switzerland’s competitiveness are many and varied: political stability is normally cited first, but that is not enough, or at least cannot be viewed as the only determining factor. Another important factor is undoubtedly legal certainty: an environment where the operating rules are clear and highly favourable for sustainable economic growth is very important for businesses. Predictability is a crucial factor. To this, you can add good infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce, which are also indispensable.

I would like to underline this last point in particular: the importance of a skilled workforce. For a country that has no natural resources, human capital is vital. There is a close connection between a country’s economic productivity and the level of education of its people. The higher that level is, the more innovation takes place, thereby making the country more competitive. Ultimately, more interesting for foreign investors. Indeed, no country can ever have too many clever, innovative people. They are the most vital resource – in Switzerland as anywhere else.
Switzerland has also developed a unique education system, which trains top professionals in in the widest range of fields and at all levels, whether in vocational schools with their dual system of theory and practice, or in the universities, where the level of investment in research and innovation is quite remarkable.

I see that your government shares this point of view, as it has begun consultations with interested parties on a reform of the education system, which may well take some inspiration from the Swiss system. I am also pleased to see that this issue will be discussed (hopefully…) at this forum and I remain convinced that it is a key factor in any country’s competitiveness.
Another of Switzerland’s strengths is its vast array of small and medium-sized enterprises, which contribute to making its economy strong and stable, making it better able to absorb fluctuations or other shocks. All the factors that I mentioned earlier are essential for these businesses. I believe that your government, Minister, is devoting a great deal of effort to simplifying administrative procedures. The platform developed for this purpose is impressive. These kinds of measures are guaranteed to increase the dynamism of the Romanian economy even more.

The dynamism of the Romanian economy and the efforts the government is making to put the right framework conditions in place for businesses are especially good news, not only for Romania but also for Switzerland. This is clear from the conversations I have had with Swiss investors since arriving in Bucharest yesterday evening.

I am delighted by these developments; I am delighted that Switzerland has been able to play its own modest part through its enlargement contribution and I can assure you that we will continue to support you and work with you. Above all, I am delighted to hear what you have to say on this subject and I wish you every success with your enterprise.

Minister, Ambassador, Ladies and Gentlemen

I am confident that we will continue to expand our economic, cultural, scientific and political relations. The will to do so is there on both sides and it is certainly in our mutual interests.
In a month or so, our two countries will meet again in Paris, in rather different circumstances: our national teams will face each other on the football field – I am looking forward to a thrilling game, fair play, and plenty of goals!