Swiss urgency: EU accession discussions resume in Bern
The lobby for the country's accession to the European Union has intensified in Switzerland, the confederation's parliament told Izvestia. This is happening against the background of the expansion of relations between the EU and Bern, in particular, the signing of a new package of bilateral agreements, Bilaterals III. The country's Foreign Ministry, however, assured that there are no plans to join the bloc. At the same time, European integration has been discussed again in Iceland, where a referendum on this issue may be held as early as 2026. Experts explain the trend by the desire of European countries to consolidate in the face of challenges related to US policy. Moscow is now more wary of EU enlargement, primarily because of the militarization of this association.
Switzerland discusses joining the EU
Discussions on joining the European Union have intensified in Switzerland due to the signing of a new package of agreements between Bern and the EU (Bilaterals III). The Government of the confederation expects to submit it to Parliament for ratification in March 2026.
— It (the pro-European lobby. — Ed.) is always activated when a decisive vote is approaching," Jean—Luc Addor, a member of parliament from the country's largest Swiss People's Party, told Izvestia.
After ratification in Parliament, the Bilaterals III will be put to a referendum. It is expected no earlier than 2027, and its final parameters have yet to be determined by lawmakers. According to Addor, such pressure naturally increased in 2001, when the Swiss voted to begin negotiations on joining the EU, and again in 2019 during the discussion on the adoption of the EU weapons directive.
— Every time the stakes are high, the pressure increases. Today, the same pattern is observed," the deputy stressed.
At the same time, the Swiss Foreign Ministry assured that the latest agreements are only a continuation of the bilateral approach that Bern has been practicing for decades.
— Switzerland does not intend to join the European Union. It seeks to stabilize and develop relations with the EU and continue the bilateral format of cooperation through a new package of agreements, the Foreign Ministry told Izvestia.
The Bilaterals III covers the updating of documents on air transportation, ground transportation, freedom of movement of persons and mutual recognition of standards. New agreements are also envisaged in the field of electric power, food safety and healthcare. The document establishes Switzerland's participation in EU programs and creates formalized dispute resolution mechanisms. In fact, Bern is trying to maintain access to the European market without moving to full membership.
The economic background is obvious here: the European Commission estimates bilateral trade in goods at €328 billion by the end of 2024, and in services at €245 billion in 2023. Switzerland is the fourth largest trading partner of the EU and the third largest investor. That is why the stabilization of relations based on a proven bilateral approach remains the government's priority, the country's Foreign Ministry noted. However, manipulation is increasingly being used in Switzerland's domestic policy to justify its rapprochement with the EU.
— The same argument repeats itself: isolation, economic disaster, loss of prosperity if Switzerland does not continue to move closer to the EU. An atmosphere of urgency is created. The tone from Brussels is often presented as "there is no alternative." This rhetoric then spreads inside Switzerland," Addor explained.
Pressure is also exerted through institutional levers. The EU weapons Directive was a good example: after the terrorist attacks in Europe, Brussels demanded that Bern tighten its domestic legislation, threatening to exclude it from the Schengen area. There is also a structural dimension: most senior Swiss officers are trained abroad, in EU or US institutions, within the framework of NATO structures — and very rarely outside them.
— From a technical point of view, this is understandable. But this inevitably forms a strategic culture: networks of contacts, common guidelines, and common doctrines arise," the deputy concluded.
Indeed, the European Union has become more and more like a military bloc in recent years. There are large-scale rearmament programs. The flagship plan to "Rearm Europe" involves the mobilization of more than €800 billion (including the SAFE loan facility for €150 billion) for joint defense purchases by 2030. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that the European Union is actively engaged in militarization. In particular, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Europe "does not hide plans to prepare for war with Russia."
Such programs relate to the areas of common foreign policy and security, Ekaterina Entina, director of the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies, told Izvestia. The rearmament of Europe is not strictly mandatory, but it is considered a marker of the active position of the members of the association, she said.
Therefore, Switzerland, if they join the association, will be under institutional pressure. At the same time, there are big questions about the confederation's neutrality right now, because it has joined most of the EU's anti—Russian sanctions.
Iceland aspires to the EU
Iceland is another contender, whose economy is already deeply integrated into pan—European structures. The current government, led by Kristrun Frostadouttir, has returned the topic of membership to the active agenda, and now Reykjavik wants to hold a referendum on resuming negotiations in the fall of 2026, although it was previously planned to do so before the end of 2027.
Iceland applied back in 2009, but in 2013 negotiations were frozen, and in 2015 the country officially withdrew its candidate status in order to protect its fishing industry, which would have suffered from the requirements of EU policy.
Iceland's increased interest in joining the European Union and the renewed discussions in Switzerland can be explained by the desire for European integration, Entina stressed. In this sense, the countries exist within the framework of a common infrastructural contour, a largely interconnected economy and a closely related legal framework.
— In addition, during Trump's second presidential term, relations within the Euro-Atlantic area are being restructured. There is a growing desire for unification within Europe in order not to be alone in the face of the challenges of the new American administration," the expert emphasized.
For Russia, the accession of these countries to the European Union will not significantly change anything. Iceland, like Switzerland, also voluntarily adheres to the sanctions line against the Russian Federation. Russian-Icelandic relations are currently in a "frozen" state in almost all areas, the Russian Embassy in Reykjavik told Izvestia.
"There is currently no reason to talk about any significant impact of the possible resumption of negotiations on Iceland's accession to the EU on Russian—Icelandic relations," the diplomats noted.
In the field of security, Iceland pays special attention to NATO's allied commitments and traditionally adjusts its foreign policy in accordance with the guidelines of the United States and other member countries of the alliance. There are no prospects for any significant changes in Iceland's position, the embassy stressed. The media, however, reported that Reykjavik was returning to the topic of the referendum due to concerns after Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland.
According to Russian diplomats, the country's accession to the EU is unlikely to correct Iceland's position on the Arctic agenda.: Brussels is unlikely to become a leading player in decision-making on the Arctic, as this traditionally remains the prerogative of the states of the region.
However, Iceland's accession to the EU may complicate fishing cooperation between our countries. At least, Reykjavik will not be able to independently conclude bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation on the mutual distribution of quotas.
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