Cassis makes his bravest decision

He had dipped for a long time. But now Ignazio Cassis is fighting publicly for his bilateral contracts. Against party colleague Keller-Sutter and the SVP, who always supported him. Where does the new courage come from?

Anyone who knows Karin Keller-Sutter does not doubt a second that she tried everything until at the end to change Ignazio Cassis. She even wrote a report against the project of her FDP colleague in the Federal Council. The fact that it was wrong to assume the new contracts with the EU only the popular referendum. And that it could be understood as a trickery, especially in EU-skeptical central and Eastern Switzerland, to dribble the cantons.

Keller-Sutter wanted a mandatory referendum. In addition to the people, the majority of the stands must also agree to put the contracts into force.

But Ignazio Cassis was no longer put off. Although probably nobody knows better what it means when the spells of the Federal President meet one. How frosty was the relationship with the St. Gallerin after she had to go to the judicial department after her election in December 2018, even though he could have prevented it.

Now, on this sunny Wednesday in April 2025, the Ticino took a heart-and prevailed: Together with Beat Jans and Elisabeth Baume Schneider from the SP and the new middle Federal Councilor Martin Pfister, his voice was the decisive factor for the optional referendum. Against the Keller-Sutter and against the two SVP federal councils Albert Rösti and Guy Parmelin-whose party always faithfully supported him in the election to the Federal Council 2017 and in the total renewal elections 2019 and 2023. Cassis disappointed many friends on Wednesday.

The decision for the optional referendum is groundbreaking, although the parliament can still change it. Because it makes it clear the great importance the Federal Council is the contracts. The risk that they could fail because of the stand is obviously too great for him. Before the media, Cassis said: « The Federal Council is convinced that the continuation of the bilateral path is a strategic need for Switzerland. » And not without pathos: the bilaterals have proven themselves, « in the service of Switzerland and their future ».

Worded non -binding

So much determination of Cassis is unusual. When he took over the broadcasting party from his hapless predecessor, Didier Burkhalter in 2017, he announced that he was pressing the reset button in European policy. At a media conference after 100 days in office, he represented his strategy with colorful styrofoam blocks that symbolized the bilateral contracts.

They fell to the ground during the demonstration. And it was in its early days when Cassis said with regard to the negotiations with Brussels: “If it works, it will work. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.  » The worded non -binding. The then SP President Christian Levrat scolded Cassis an « intern ».