Switzerland is desperately looking for contact with Trump’s innestate circle

State Secretary Budliger travels to Washington again. Your mission: Clinning plastering in the area of ​​the US president to hear the arguments of Switzerland. Meanwhile, the Federal Council is relating to silent diplomacy. The prospects for success: doubtful.

The State Secretary for Economy, Helene Budliger Artieda, left Washington on Sunday. On request, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) confirmed media reports: « Use all channels to get in touch with the US authorities ». The State Secretary will have various talks by Wednesday « to explain the situation in Switzerland to our partners in the United States and to clear up possible misunderstandings ».

At the same time, Budliger will prepare the visit of Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter. At the end of the month, the two take part in the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and hope to be able to talk to the highest-ranking US government officials. In the best case with Trump himself. For Budliger, clinking is the order of the day.

Meanwhile, the Federal Council itself relies on silent diplomacy. It is about « doing nothing that causes noise, » it says. Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter explained in an interview with « La Liberté » on Saturday that it was important to « keep cool heads and not to fall into alarmism ». An escalation is not in the interests of Switzerland: « What we need now is the possibility of explaining the situation at the negotiating table. »

It is easier said than done. Because two and a half months after Donald Trump took office, neither Federal President Keller-Sutter nor Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis or Minister of Economics Parmelin have direct contact with the innermost circle of the US president. Keller-Sutter said on Thursday that there was no reason to call Trump, « you can’t discuss very much on the phone ».

Ignazio Cassis has not yet telephoned with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio. This may also be due to the fact that according to Elon Musk’s chainsaw massacre in the US administration there is chaos-the usual diplomatic channels are partially buried. So far, even the much praised good services that Switzerland does as the protective power of the United States in Iran have not yet helped.

Bundesbern has been lulled

Half a week after he struck, it is becoming increasingly clear: the Federal Council was fully hit by Trump’s Zollhammer. Next Wednesday, the new tariffs are likely to come into force. From then on, every sack knife from Switzerland, every clock and each component for a machine is 31 percent more expensive than before. The punishment is that high. And worse: Swiss products will be significantly more expensive in the United States than those of European competition because the EU gets away with tariffs of 20 percent more noticeably.

Obviously, they had been lulled in Bundes before the Americans ‘shawms’ sounds: that Switzerland had little to fear because it was not a member of the EU, the European enemy image of Trump and his vice president JD Vance. With the visit of six US congress members in Bern in March, which were also welcomed by Cassis and Parmelin, it was also hoped to be confirmed in the hope that, despite Trump’s confusion for Switzerland, business as usual would continue to apply with the United States.

This also in belief in one’s own, indeed very good arguments: Switzerland as the sixth largest investor in the USA, as number one in research and development that creates hundreds of thousands of well -paid jobs. Switzerland, where 99 percent of US goods can be introduced duty-free. That would even have to make Trump, thought.

But it didn’t. For the calculation of the punitive tariffs, Trump subordinated Switzerland of the same, according to most economic experts absurd formula like all other states – with the well -known, catastrophic result. It was an evil awakening for the Federal Council. And a late one.

In competition with dozens of states

It is hardly likely that Budliger can avert the worst by Wednesday. Already on her last trip to Washington just three weeks ago, she had numerous conversations, including the chief of staff of the trade delegate Jamieson Greer. In the meantime, it has been shown that even these people were not part of the group of those who prepared the customs decision.

It should now be correspondingly difficult to organize a meeting with Trump for Federal President Keller-Sutter personally on the edge of the Bretton Woods conference at the end of the month. Then dozens of other heads of state and government will also request such an audience. If Switzerland would be able to be seen as a diplomatic success.