As a Dealmaker Donald Trump caught unawares by the Federal Council

Donald Trump loves the Shock-and-Awe method: He throws the counter-part, surprisingly, out of Balance, so that can't resist. Also, Bern was taken by surprise when late on Tuesday night from Washington D.C. arrived. The US President was ready to receive the President of the Swiss Confederation in the White house – on Thursday, not two days later.

informed As Ueli Maurer on Wednesday the Federal Council in the short, pointed him to colleagues, according to well-informed persons to the risk he was taking in a visit with such a short preparation time. Also in the Department of foreign Affairs (FDFA) were raised concerns that short period of time for serious editing. A conflict between foreign Minister, Ignazio Cassis and state Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl was created. The relationship between the Federal Council and his number two is considered to be tense.

free trade has layers, from the Swiss point of view, priority

The first invitation to the Oval Office negative, was the President of the Confederation but is not an Option, especially since Bern came to the conclusion that Trump should not have surprised Switzerland deliberately. Rather, a possibility of an old invitation to redeem resulted in the short term. Trump wanted to meet Mason originally in January at the World Economic Forum. As he could not travel because of a budget dispute, after he filed an invitation.

image: Handshake in front of the White house

Because from a Swiss perspective, the free trade priority had to fly, decided by Maurer, accompanied by the state Secretary for economy, Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, and for international financial matters, Daniela Stoffel, to. Ineichen-Fleisch has guided the talks so far and that was a month ago, when US trade Robert Lighthizer officer. The role Stoffels remained unclear; however, it was prior to her appointment to the Secretary of state as a bricklayer diplomatic consultant.

The EDA remains outside, in front of

Not to be present in the Oval Office of the EDA, however, was Headquarters; Secretary of state Baeriswyl is currently conducting political consultations in South Korea. Officially, it was said, Ambassador Urs Dahinden have represented the EDA. Nevertheless, the unaccustomed Exercise schedule in Berne to nervousness in the face of sensitive issues, which put the White house on the Agenda: The Americans wanted to talk about the diplomatic role of mediator of Switzerland. In addition, a conversation with a security Advisor John Bolton was on the program, considered to be Falcon and head behind Trumps hard line towards Iran.

With the Islamist Regime in Tehran, the U.S. maintains no diplomatic relations since 1980, Switzerland acts as protecting power, and transmits messages between the warring countries. In the past years, Swiss diplomats had passed on several occasions, negotiations on a prisoner exchange. In 2016, about five detained Americans would be allowed to leave in Switzerland, the United States free to decide, seven Iranians. Only in January of this year, Tehran protested to the Swiss Ambassador, as the U.S. authorities arrested an Iranian journalist.

Venezuela blocked

Similarly, the sensitivity of the second protecting power mandate to exercise the Switzerland in Venezuela. Trump is working intensively on a detachment of President Nicolás Maduro by opposition leader Juan Guaidó. On 5. April of this year, was in Bern a protection agreement signed. This, however, is on ice. Venezuela have the consent of the protecting power mandate is not given, it shall notify the EDA. The reasons are unclear, the Embassy of Venezuela in Bern did not want to comment yesterday on this.

Finally, the Federal government feared, to collect in spite of all the good services a ticking off for cozying up with China: While Trump is trying to increase the pressure, the Federal President Ueli Maurer at the end of April in Beijing, signed a Declaration of intent on Switzerland's participation in the new Chinese silk road under the.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 16.05.2019, 21:42 PM