Italy has recalled its ambassador to Switzerland for consultations after Swiss authorities released the owner of a nightclub where a New Year’s Day fire killed 40 people — a move Rome condemned as a “grave offense” and a fresh wound for victims’ families. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ordered Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado to return to Rome and instructed him to formally protest the decision with prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Valais, citing the seriousness of the alleged crimes, the risk of flight and concerns over possible evidence tampering, according to media reports. Rome said in a statement on Saturday that it is seeking “truth and justice” for the victims, several of whom were Italian nationals. The diplomatic escalation follows the Jan. 1 fire at Le Constellation nightclub in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, which broke out during New Year celebrations shortly after 1 a.m., killing 40 people and injuring 116. Investigators believe indoor pyrotechnic sparklers attached to champagne bottles ignited flammable acoustic foam on the ceiling, triggering a rapid flashover that engulfed the packed basement venue within seconds. Swiss prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the bar’s owners on suspicion of negligent homicide, bodily harm and arson. Jacques Moretti, one of the bar’s co-owners, had been detained earlier this month as a flight risk before a Swiss court ordered his release on bail on Friday.

The European Union and Switzerland have concluded negotiations on several sectoral agreements expected to deepen their relationship, they announced today. The broad package will grant Switzerland more access to the EU’s single market, while Bern will have to apply current and future EU law on free movement of people. “We are now giving joint answers to the global realities that we all have to face. We are living in an era of extremely rapid change with many shifts ongoing,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, speaking in Bern alongside Viola Amherd, the president of the Swiss Confederation. Existing agreements governing Switzerland’s access to the EU’s single market have been updated and several new elements have been added, such as on food safety, health and electricity. The deal will allow Switzerland to participate in several EU research programs, including Horizon Europe, and another part of the agreement will cover Bern’s participation in the EU’s Space Agency. As of Jan. 1, Brussels will set up transitional guidelines allowing Swiss applicants immediate access to the EU’s research programs, von der Leyen told reporters. The Alpine country will also have to pay €375 million annually into the EU budget. The two sides started negotiating a landmark partnership agreement in 2014, with a few hiccups along the way, including when Switzerland walked out of talks because of issues related to freedom of movement and state aid. Now that the talks are concluded, a lengthy process to the ratification kicks off. The Commission will legally check and translate the text into all EU languages, before it is sent to the Council and the Parliament. On the Swiss side, the deal will then still need to be approved by the Swiss parliament and by referendum, expected in 2028.