The working meeting in Bern on 5 and 6 December provided an opportunity to foster relations at parliamentary level and to exchange views on the challenges currently facing both parliaments. In addition to the talks between the two delegations, which are responsible for fostering relations between the Swiss and German parliaments, the delegation of the German Bundestag also met with National Council president Martin Candinas. Beside talks at parliamentary level, a courtesy visit to Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), and a meeting with the State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Livia Leu, also took place. Finally, the German delegation visited the SBB headquarters to discuss rail transport issues with SBB CEO Vincent Ducrot.
Discussions during the working meeting focused on the status of relations between Switzerland and Germany and between Switzerland and the European Union, as well as on cross-border ties in the areas of business and research. In view of current challenges regarding security and energy policy and the values shared between Switzerland and its European partners, the delegation members consider it indispensable to foster further cooperation between the two parties. On this basis, the presidents of the two delegations, Céline Widmer (SP, ZH) and Felix Schreiner (CDU/CSU), adopted a
joint declaration in which they express concern, among other things, that the consequences of the breakdown in negotiations on the institutional agreement between Switzerland and the EU are already being felt, particularly in the German-Swiss border region in the areas of economic and research cooperation. The two presidents are therefore calling for a rapid opening of negotiations on the outstanding issues so that the two countries can confidently look to the future on the basis of robust common rules.
In addition to the President of the Delegation for Relations with the German Bundestag, National Council member Céline Widmer (SP, ZH), Council of States member Pirmin Bischof (The Centre, SO) and National Council member Aline Trede (The Greens, BE) participated as members of the Del-D, as did National Council member Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL) in his capacity as First Vice President of the National Council, and National Council member Jon Pult (SP, GR) in his role as President of the National Council Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (TTC-N).
The delegation of the German-Swiss Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag comprised its president, Felix Schreiner (CDU/CSU), and Bundestag members Ann-Veruschka Jurisch (FDP), Gerrit Huy (AfD), Gregor Gysi (Die Linke) and Lina Seitzl (SPD).
The working visit by the German parliamentary group in Bern provided an opportunity to foster the already very close neighbourly relations. In the picture are Council of States member Pirmin Bischof (The Centre, SO), Bundestag member Ann-Veruschka Jurisch (FDP), National Council member Céline Widmer (SP, ZH), Bundestag member Felix Schreiner (CDU/CSU), Bundestag member Gerrit Huy (AfD), Bundestag member Lina Seitzl (SPD) and National Council member Aline Trede (Greens, BE) (left to right).
The parliamentary group of the German Bundestag was the first foreign delegation received by Martin Candinas in his new function as National Council president.
During the courtesy visit to Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, the parliamentary group of the German Bundestag had the opportunity to discuss cross-border ties in the areas of business and research.