Relationship dossier
Germany
Switzerland
Relationship assessment
Close bilateral cooperation, with recurring tax and financial disagreements
Germany toward Switzerland
+60Germany has cooperated with Switzerland through a bilateral police cooperation treaty and arrangements to improve cross-border passenger rail services. German policy has also engaged with Swiss authorities on tax and financial matters, which have at times been contentious.
Switzerland toward Germany
+60Switzerland has cooperated with Germany through bilateral police arrangements and agreements on cross-border passenger rail services. Swiss tax and financial policies have also been the subject of negotiations and disputes with the German government.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship rests on sustained cross-border cooperation in security and transport and close economic links. Taxation and financial issues have periodically strained ties, but have not displaced the broader pattern of practical cooperation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Germany and Switzerland maintain a close, practical relationship supported by cross-border security cooperation, rail transport arrangements and extensive economic ties. Cooperation coexists with recurring disagreements over taxation and financial matters. Their relationship is shaped by durable bilateral agreements and Switzerland’s close links with the European Union, though implementation and the scope of some arrangements can vary.
Areas of tension
- Disputes over taxation and the treatment of cross-border financial assets.
- Negotiations over tax information exchange and financial transparency.
Key developments
Germany and Switzerland concluded a bilateral police cooperation treaty.
Germany and Switzerland agreed on arrangements to improve cross-border passenger rail transport.
Major uncertainties
- The current implementation and practical effects of cross-border rail and security arrangements are unclear.
- The scope of continuing tax and financial cooperation is unclear.