Ambassadors’ Excursion 4 September 2024
Official lunch on board the MS Christoph Merian
Welcoming address by Council of States President Eva Herzog
Mr Eric Nussbaumer, President of the National Council,
Mr Conradin Cramer, President of the Basel-Stadt Cantonal Council,
Mr Isaac Reber, President of Basel-Landschaft Cantonal Council,
Mr Christoph Brutschin, President, Swiss Association for Navigation and Port economy
Mr Florian Röthlingshöfer, Director, Port of Switzerland,
Mr. Matthias Leuenberger, Country President Novartis Switzerland
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome aboard! Together with Eric Nussbaumer, I am delighted to welcome you to the region of Basel and hope you are enjoying yourselves so far. A visit to this region would not be complete without experiencing at first hand the Rhine, the port, and the tri-border region where we are now.
The tri-border region, where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, is much more than just a geographic location. It is a symbol of these countries’ close ties and active cooperation in many areas, including culture, business, transport and tourism. The region is also an example of the diminishing importance of European borders and of how cross-border cooperation is shaping our common future.
Basel has been a melting pot of cultures and ideas for centuries. The city has a rich history as a centre of knowledge and innovation. Switzerland's first university was founded here, and it was here that the first book in Switzerland was printed. This heritage has made Basel an important centre of humanism, science and art.
The Rhine, one of the most important waterways in Europe, flows through Basel and is a symbol of connection and exchange across national borders. The first bridge over the Rhine was built here too, in the Middle Ages, laying the foundation for the city's prosperity.
The canton of Basel-Stadt shares more borders with France and Germany than with the rest of Switzerland. Every day, it works with its French and German partners to find joint solutions to common challenges, making it a model of cross-border cooperation.
In Münchenstein, Eric Nussbaumer referred to the separation of Basel into two half-cantons in eighteen-thirty-three (1833). On the occasion of this separation, the Tagsatzung – the assembly of Swiss cantons – decreed that the two Basel cantons should share the appointed number of seats in the Council of States , over which I preside. This is still the case today. While most cantons have two seats in the Council of States, the two Basel cantons have just one representative each. They also share a shield in the Domed Hall of the Parliament Building, depicting the coat of arms of both cantons; this despite their population size and economic importance.
This innovative and cosmopolitan region is where I grew up, and it has had a profound influence on me and on my politics in Bern. The numerous multinational companies with their international employees incline us to look beyond the horizon; we consider foreign policy a part of domestic policy.
It therefore goes without saying that this region is firmly committed to regulating Switzerland’s relations with the EU, our closest and most important partner. Switzerland is not just located in the heart of Europe, we are linked to Europe and the European Union through economic ties as well as cultural and moral values. That is a daily reality; one that has become all the more evident since the return of war to Europe after many years of peace.
Let us now enjoy lunch together and continue our discussions. I would like to thank the Port of Switzerland for assuming the hire costs of the boat: Thank you very much, indeed!
And now I wish you all ‘Bon appétit’!
EH/Basel, 19 August 2024