Swiss People’s Party president and parliamentarian Marcel Dettling on Saturday urged his party to reject Switzerland’s bilateral treaty updates with the European Union, saying they undermine the country’s independence. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The pact has nothing to do with bilateral agreements, emphasised Dettling. Bilateral agreements are negotiated between partners on an equal footing, but this is by no means the case, said the party president at the delegates' meeting in Wimmis, canton Bern. + Swiss cantons back EU treaty package Only the other party could lay down new rules at any time, which Switzerland would then have to adopt. Otherwise there would be a threat of equalisation payments. Dettling spoke of an "EU submission treaty". Switzerland would have to submit to foreign judges and "pay billions of francs in tribute to Brussels". Dettling also criticised the fact that the Federal Council (executive body) does not want there to be a ...
