Europe

In March, the European Parliament will decide whether or not to approve the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) agreed between the European Union and the United Kingdom on 24 December 2020. The agreement governs relations between the EU and the UK after the latter's departure from the EU (Brexit). It was signed on 30 December 2020 and has been applied provisionally since the beginning of the year.

In an interview with CH Media, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis talks about Switzerland's European policy and latest measures to address the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. Tackling both issues requires a willingness to compromise.

What motivates people? What role does prosperity play in the satisfaction of human needs? And how is the Brexit agreement different from Switzerland's bilateral relations with the EU? In an interview with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis gives his views on current issues and highlights why a willingness to listen and interest in political and cultural diversity are crucial, particularly in heated discussions.

The newly restructured State Secretariat of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA started work at the beginning of 2021. It comprises six geographic and five thematic divisions. Now located under one roof, their close proximity will result in greater coherence in Swiss foreign policy as a whole. The State Secretariat is headed by State Secretary Livia Leu. She will be supported by two Deputy State Secretaries, Patric Franzen and Johannes Matyassy, who also have line management responsibilities.

1989: with the Cold War at an end, Europe is in a state of upheaval. In Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel goes from prisoner to president in the space of a few months. For the first time, the general public will now be able to read striking accounts by Swiss diplomats that detail the events of this era. The documents are being published by the Dodis research centre. We spoke with its director, Sacha Zala.

Ambassador Christian Meuwly, permanent representative of Switzerland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, talks about the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is turning 70. He discusses its influence, importance and future, and the crucial role of intergovernmental cooperation, especially in times of crisis.