From 26 June to 1 July, a Council of States delegation led by Raphaël Comte (FDP, NE), President of the Council of States, visited Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. The delegation visited Luxembourg from 26 to 28 June at the invitation of Mars Di Bartolomeo, President of Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, before travelling to Brussels, where it was received by Christine Defraigne, President of the Belgian Senate. In Brussels a meeting was also held with the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. The trip concluded with a two-day stay in the Netherlands, where the programme included a meeting with the president of the Senate, Ankie Broekers-Knol.
The Swiss delegation exchanged views with its counterparts on bilateral relations and European and transport policy issues. In view of recent events, the UK’s exit from the EU and its consequences for Europe was widely discussed. The Swiss delegation was also able to gain a detailed understanding of the role of the senates in their host countries.
Raphaël Comte, President of the Council of States, was accompanied by a delegation comprising the Second Vice President of the Council of States, Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP, SG), members of the Council of States Robert Cramer (GP, GE), Thomas Minder (independent, SH), Géraldine Savary (SP, VD), and Anne Seydoux-Christe (CVP, JU), as well as Martina Buol, Deputy Secretary-General of the Federal Assembly and Secretary to the Council of States and Nina Wirth, foreign policy adviser.