Allianz Kompass Europa
The Kompass Europa Alliance is a Swiss political organization that opposes the planned agreements on the further development of bilateral treaties between Switzerland and the European Union on their current basis. In particular, it rejects Switzerland's integration into the institutional conditions proposed by the EU. The alliance proposes alternative directions for Switzerland's foreign policy. It is supported by prominent figures from industry, finance, and consulting.
Arguments Against Further Development of Bilateral Treaties with Dynamic Legal Adoption
In 2021, Kompass Europa articulated its objections to the then-negotiated framework agreement between Switzerland and the EU, publishing a corresponding manifesto.Since 2022, the Swiss Federal Council has been negotiating with the EU on the further development of bilateral treaties. The new negotiating positions were formalized as a package solution. The Kompass Europa Alliance conducted an assessment and concluded that Switzerland is fundamentally politically and structurally incompatible with the EU. It argues that Switzerland's rights as a sovereign EU partner would be undermined. The alliance warns that dynamic legal adoption would lead to a downward leveling of the Swiss economy. It has critically analyzed and clarified the individual treaty components. The benefits of free movement of persons are controversially assessed. Heinrich Fischer, president of the alliance, argues that the EU has a greater interest in the free movement agreement than Switzerland. Alfred Gantner, a co-founder, opposes unrestricted access to the Swiss labor market through free movement, advocating for Switzerland to independently select desired workers, stating: "We can recruit in the EU at any time."
Swiss Popular Initiative
On October 1, 2024, a committee closely associated with the alliance began collecting signatures for the federal popular initiative titled For a Direct-Democratic and Competitive Switzerland – No EU Passive Membership. The initiative committee comprises 27 individuals, including one member of the National Council, one member of the Council of States, entrepreneurs Daniel Aegerter, Alfred Gantner, Urs Lehmann, and Jörg Wolle, the editor-in-chief of Nebelspalter, Markus Somm, former TV presenter Kurt Aeschbacher, and former ski racer Bernhard Russi. The initiative's founders include those of the Partners Group. Unlike initiatives driven by political parties, established associations, NGOs, or professional political activists, this initiative stems from new economic and public groupings.The initiative demands that future international treaties involving significant legal adoption be subject to a mandatory referendum. According to a Neue Zürcher Zeitung editor, the Swiss Federal Council could hardly ignore an initiative with over 100,000 valid signatures, likely requiring an institutional EU agreement to also face a cantonal majority. If accepted with a delay, a treaty previously approved by a simple popular majority under a facultative referendum would require an additional vote due to a retroactivity clause.
On June 17, 2012, the federal popular initiative "For strengthening people's rights in foreign policy " with a similar aim was rejected by 75.3% of voters and 23:0 cantonal votes. However, that initiative would have subjected state treaties to broader new rules compared to the current, narrowly focused proposal. Existing treaties like the Schengen/Dublin agreements would not be affected under the proposed transitional provisions.