A Swiss-style arrangement “to make Brexit work better for business” is mentioned by Robert Shrimsley in his column “Brexit split is between zealots and pragmatists” (Opinion, November 24).
Indeed both countries have two things in common — the intent to gain a foothold in the European single market (UK), or not to lose one (Switzerland).
And both carry a historical burden standing in the way — Britain has its legacy of imperial greatness, Switzerland its hallowed neutrality as pointed out by Constanze Stelzenmüller in “Ukraine crisis could transform the future of neutrality” (Opinion, November 23).
But that is where the resemblance ends. Bern’s longstanding practice of automatic adoption of single market rules would hardly be acceptable to the UK where alignment with EU rules, coupled with the acceptance of the European Court of Justice’s role interpreting those rules, is a “no-go” for the governing Brexiters.
The latter’s third bugbear, migration, is seen differently by Schengen member Switzerland.
Both countries know that their paths to future prosperity cannot circumvent the single market, and both will have to find their place in a Europe, which is coming together, in the wake of the Zeitenwende — a turning point in history, watershed, epochal shift in global geopolitics — of the Ukraine war.
Daniel Woker
Co-founder, Share-an-Ambassador
Former Swiss Ambassador (Kuwait, Singapore, Australia)
Gunten, Switzerland
