Relations between Switzerland and Italy are characterised by close economic, political, social and cultural ties, a common language and frequent visits at all levels. The meeting in Bern follows a working visit to Rome by the Del-I in November 2021.
The talks focused in particular on bilateral and EU relations. On the fiscal and financial level, the delegations welcomed the recent developments following the final approval of the Agreement on the Taxation of Frontier Workers, signed in 2020, and the removal of Switzerland from Italy’s 1999 financial blacklist. There was also an exchange of views on cooperation in the area of rail transport and on the topic of teleworking for cross-border commuters. In addition, the two delegations discussed Switzerland’s status as a non-associated third country in the EU framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe, as well as in related programmes and initiatives.
The occasion also included a courtesy visit to National Council President Martin Candinas (The Centre, GR), where the talks focused on bilateral relations at parliamentary level and on fiscal and financial matters. The two sides also exchanged views on rail transport and energy, following on from the recent visit to Rome by Federal Councillor Albert Rösti, Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), during which two agreements on rail transport and energy were signed with Italian ministers Matteo Salvini and Gilberto Pichetto Fratin.
The Italian delegation also paid a courtesy visit to Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). In addition, the Italian parliamentarians visited the headquarters of the Swiss Federal Railways in Wankdorf, Bern, where they held in-depth discussions on the Swiss rail transport system and on cooperation between Switzerland and Italy.
The programme included a visit to Zurich and in particular at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). There, the Italian delegation exchanged views on bilateral Swiss-Italian cooperation in the scientific and academic fields with an ETH delegation that included ETH Rector Günther Dissertori and Professors Alessio Figalli, Fields Medal winner in 2018, Domenico Giardini, former Director of the Swiss Seismological Service, and Gino Isidori from the Physics Institute of the University of Zurich. The parliamentarians also visited the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, meeting with museum director Denise Tonella, where they visited the Italianità, Experiences from Switzerland exhibition as well as the History of Switzerland permanent exhibition, focusing in particular on exhibits with a link to Italian migration.
The delegation of the Italian-Swiss Bilateral Friendship Section was composed of its president, Toni Ricciardi (Partito Democratico), and MPs Enrico Borghi (Azione-ItaliaViva-RenewEurope), Giangiacomo Calovini (Fratelli d'Italia), Emiliano Fenu (Movimento 5 Stelle), Franco Manes (Misto-Minoranze linguistiche) and Catia Polidori (Forza Italia – Partito popolare europeo).
The Italian-Swiss Bilateral Friendship Section is the Del-I’s counterpart and is made up of 21 representatives from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The Swiss Parliament maintains close bilateral ties with the parliaments of neighbouring countries, including with its southern neighbour Italy, through standing delegations. Official visits by the presidents of the respective parliaments also take place regularly. Italy is Switzerland’s third most important trading partner, and Italian citizens form the largest population of foreign nationals in the country.
Photos of the official visit