Merz praises Switzerland ahead of meeting with KKS "We work 200 hours less than the Swiss!"
President Karin Keller-Sutter meets Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today. On the agenda are US punitive tariffs, European competitiveness and relations with the EU.
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- President Karin Keller-Sutter meets Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin today - with military honors and a subsequent media conference.
- Topics on the table include European competitiveness, the war in Ukraine and US punitive tariffs.
- The customs dispute with Donald Trump, which is making Swiss exports 39% more expensive and is now also raising the question of a digital tax, is particularly sensitive.
- There is also domestic political pressure: the debate about the OECD minimum tax is raging in Bern, while Germany is hoping to learn from the successful Swiss model.
Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) is traveling to Berlin today. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will receive the Federal President with military honors in the Chancellery at 12.30 pm. At around 1.45 p.m., the two will answer questions from the press at a media conference.
Important dossiers are on the table: European competitiveness, world trade and the consequences of US customs policy. Then there are Swiss-EU relations, the war in Ukraine and the Swiss chairmanship of the OSCE 2026.
Chancellor Merz under pressure
The situation is tense. Germany is in crisis and the economy is stagnating. Merz is urgently looking for ways to make his country more productive again - and is also looking to Switzerland. In the ZDF summer interview, he complained about high sickness rates and said: "We work 200 hours less than the Swiss!" (video above)
Merz is therefore likely to be curious about the Swiss success model. But tips on work ethic are likely to be of secondary importance at the meeting at presidential level.
The customs dispute with the USA is more important. Since Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs of 39 percent on Swiss exports, the Federal Council has been looking for a solution. According to "NZZ am Sonntag", a draft agreement is already on the table in which Switzerland would waive a digital tax - much to the annoyance of many parliamentarians.
Trump tariffs apply at least until October 14
It remains to be seen whether this will happen. A US court recently ruled that Trump cannot justify tariffs solely on the basis of a "national emergency" - that is a matter for Congress. However, this does not change the 39% tariffs for the time being: they will remain in place until at least October 14 because Trump is taking the case to the Supreme Court.
One possible topic of discussion could be this: How should Europe deal with the unpredictability of Trump's government? Countries such as India, Russia and China are already looking for alternatives and are acting as geopolitical counterweights within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
There is also another contentious issue: the OECD minimum tax. Civic politicians in Switzerland are calling for a pause because the expected revenue has yet to materialize. Business associations, on the other hand, are warning of new risks for internationally active companies.
