In a rush Top German politician wants Switzerland to join the EU
Following the punitive tariffs imposed by the USA, the debate about Switzerland's role is growing in Germany. Omid Nouripour, Vice President of the Bundestag, is even calling for a "turbo accession" of the Swiss Confederation to the EU - support is also coming from the SPD.
28.08.2025, 06:40
28.08.2025, 06:43
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- Omid Nouripour is campaigning for a rapid rapprochement between Switzerland and the EU, including "turbo membership".
- SPD politician Markus Töns is also open to Switzerland joining the EU.
- Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis emphasizes the importance of agreements with the EU, but points to Switzerland's own interests.
The Vice President of the German Bundestag, Omid Nouripour, brings Switzerland's membership of the European Union into play against the backdrop of the customs conflict with the USA. He even spoke of a possible turbo accession of Switzerland.
"The federal government should offer Switzerland the opportunity to deepen cooperation quickly, right up to a turbo membership of Switzerland in the EU," the Green politician told the German news agency DPA.
Nouripour continued: "If our Swiss friends want to move closer to the European Union in these new times, Germany should actively support this."
Nouripour: Smaller states vulnerable
"For centuries, the Swiss have cultivated a tradition of strict neutrality," said Nouripour. "However, the recent customs dispute with Donald Trump painfully shows how vulnerable smaller states are when they are left to their own devices. Politically neutral, economically global - that is no longer possible in the new age." Not in a world in which reliable rules are increasingly threatened by the law of the jungle.
"Switzerland may be rich, but it is also at the mercy of the arbitrary play of the big players. The EU may not be the best choice from a Swiss perspective, but it is far more reliable," said the German MEP. Switzerland would undoubtedly be a gain for the EU, but the EU also had a lot to offer Switzerland in times of necessary cohesion.
Social Democrat also open
Markus Töns, European policy spokesman for the Social Democratic SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, had previously expressed his openness to Switzerland becoming the 28th member of the European Union. "If Switzerland applies to join the EU, it would be very welcome," Töns told Der Spiegel.
US President Donald Trump has imposed a tariff of 39 percent on imports from Switzerland, which has been in force since August 7. A tariff of 15 percent applies to most products from the EU. In response to the US tariffs, Switzerland has called for greater cooperation with the European Union, among other things. However, accession to the EU is not on the cards. Instead, the treaty package with the EU is being debated.
In a recent interview, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis emphasized the need for agreements with the EU. This should secure trade and guarantee stability, said the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in an interview with "Le Temps". He also said that relations with the USA remain important, but that Switzerland has no friends, only interests.
