Swiss minister likens EU deal to foundational Swiss ‘Rütli oath’

Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans said on Sunday that a proposed new bilateral deal with the European Union (EU) represented a “mutual promise in difficult times – with partners who want to move forward together”. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox When it comes to opposition to the package of agreements, what bothers him most is the argument of “foreign judges” having a say in Swiss legislation, Jans told the SonntagsBlick newspaper. He maintained that the opposite will be the case, and that it is now clear how disputes between the two sides should be resolved. Meanwhile a clause to limit immigration in certain cases offers flexibility and preserves Switzerland’s ability to act. “If the British had achieved this, there would have been no Brexit,” Jans said. The minister also emphasised that this new clause was much more effective than the current one and that immigration could thus be limited without losing access to the EU single market. “Our chief ...