Consultation on framework agreements with the EU

In June 2025, the consultation on the framework agreements with the EU was opened. According to an article by Dominik Feusi in the Swiss journal Nebelspalter on 3 February 2026, over 1,000 Swiss private individuals had responded:
    “Federal Parliament insiders on the consultation on the framework agreements. How the FDFA decided to ignore private comments. In the middle of the consultation, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis’ department decided not to evaluate the submissions from private individuals at all.
    The facts: According to the consultation report, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) ignored all 1,058 comments from private individuals during the consultation on the framework agreements. The official reason given was that these had been generated by artificial intelligence. However, internal documents show that this only affected “around 100 comments”. Nevertheless, the remaining 958 private submissions were not taken into account. The decision was made in mid-September – six weeks before the end of the consultation process.
    Why this is important: Internal emails and minutes show how dismissive and biased the federal administration was in its handling of comments from private individuals. They never had any intention of taking private submissions seriously.”
    The question is, if the people and our rights are trampled on in this way, what is the point of a consultation, a vote, direct democracy? Is the Federal Council, our government, still worthy of our trust?
    If the Swiss people approve this framework agreement, our current democratic rights will melt away like snow in the sun! There will certainly be winners, but also many losers, above all the people. Much will change for us Swiss, and not only for the better. We will be seeing our direct democracy, neutrality and right to have a say, which are so typical of our country, disappear!
    As Franz Grüter (National Councillor) said: “No democracy can survive without freedom and an open exchange of opinions! When I see how the European Union is acting against people in terms of their fundamental right to freedom of expression (e.g. Jacques Baud and many others), I think that our Federal Council is stumbling blindly into the EU without knowing where the journey is taking us! The FDFA’s actions are only the beginning, and this also applies to the neutrality initiative, which is so important for our country and which, let’s be clear, was torpedoed by Federal Councillor Cassis when he clearly declared the Russians to be the enemy and, in my opinion, abused his power. This is costing Switzerland its credibility today, and we are no longer perceived as a neutral state.”
    On 17 February 2026, the neutrality initiative was also buried in the Council of States, torpedoed by the political party “Die Mitte” (The Centre), as the Federal Council had already done, which does not bode well should the people approve this decision. Yes, the Rütli Oath was once, though for me it is still relevant today!

We want to be a single People of brethren, never to part in danger nor distress.
We want to be free, as our fathers were and rather die than live in slavery.
We want to trust in the one highest God and never be afraid of human power.

Regula Birbaum, Versoix/Genève