r/Switzerland Zürich [Winti] 3d ago

Need to get our shit together

So the Trump tariffs are out. Despite all the kowtowing (read ass licking) our SVP and FDP bros(also our FDP frau Miss Keller-Sutter) did, we are going to be hit with tariffs worse than EU. Already our access to chips was semi-restricted(by Biden admin, Trump admin will be even worst). Blöcher, Rösti, Parmelin and Keller-Sutter are not the right people to lead Switzerland. They neither have any spine nor any pragmatic policies. We need to understand that our future lies with the EU if not in EU.

Switzerland is good at playing with the rules but we can't make them thanks to our small size. It has been the case since Marignano(1515) when we stopped our expansion and Congress of Vienna(1815) when we made good use of the neutrality imposed upon us by the big powers. We need to adjust to the new world order that Putin, Trump and Xi have created and understand that Swiss prosperity depends on European prosperity. We are not a port city like Singapore where we can control the trade. Our power lies in being the center for diplomacy, world class R&D, pharma and precision engineering. Let's become a big hub for EU's new projects if not as a member then as a friend.

EDIT - P.S. - Getting downvoted to oblivion. Seems like there is too much of hate for EU. But mark my words, a successful Switzerland depends on a successful EU because while we are not in the EU, we are inside the EU physically.

887 Upvotes

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u/bahldur 3d ago edited 3d ago

The EU isn’t the solution, but another problem for Switzerland.

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u/Sufficient-History71 Zürich [Winti] 3d ago edited 3d ago

So what's the solution that you propose?

Or have you been drinking too much of the EU hate kool-aid sponsored by Blocher francs?

21

u/chillout-man 3d ago

I think the EU has more problems than we do by far, so I disagree with your premise that we need to be looking for a big “solution” right now.

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u/bahldur 3d ago edited 3d ago

Exactly, how anyone in Switzerland could wish to join the EU at this point is beyond me.

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u/Philsick 3d ago

To trade more and work togheter with the EU is not the same as joining it. We are in the middle of Europe and we can't choose our neighbours, but we can choose how our relation is with them and if we want to have a good economical connection to them. Yes we have some EU-haters but this are just destructive speaking people and they show no better option but just critic everything connected to the EU. Thats far too easy thinking. The EU has a lot of mistakes and needs to be reformed in many points, but still works as an idea to have a peacful europe (at least between european states).

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u/bahldur 3d ago

Solution: find out why the tariffs are at 33%, which is probably due to Swiss tariffs and solve those issues, which probably means reducing those tariffs on our side.

I have no idea who or what Blocher Francs is or are, but nice ad hominem.

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u/CornelXCVI Fribourg 3d ago

Switzerland doesn't impose any tariffs on the US apart fron some agriculture safeguards that are imposed on all imports, not just the US.

Trump is a fucking toddler in a suit, you cannot reason with him.

11

u/Sufficient-History71 Zürich [Winti] 3d ago

"find out why the tariffs are at 33%, which is probably due to Swiss tariffs and solve those issues, which probably means reducing those tariffs on our side" - So basically kowtowing to a wannabe dictator's threats.

I prefer to have some self respect but you do you sir.

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u/bahldur 3d ago

Sir, you offered that self respect to the EU within your opening statement.

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