While both countries have signalled their willingness to sign the deal, they still need parliamentary approval which is now at risk after Swiss prosecutors on Saturday issued arrest warrants for three German tax inspectors from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

FORBES: Switzerland to Attempt to Arrest German Tax Collectors

German authorities suspect a batch of lasagne sent from Luxembourg to a retailer in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

BBC: minced beef - file pic

Even voters in North-Rhine Westphalia, the most heavily-populated German state, rejected her party in favour of the Social Democrats (SPD), who promised to go easy on cutting debt.

BBC: Euro crisis: The European maze