The friction between Switzerland and Germany over bank secrecy reached government level on Monday, as the Swiss defence minister confirmed he had traded in his official Mercedes limousine for a French car.

Ueli Maurer, a leader of the ultranationalist Swiss People’s party (SVP), will in future be chauffeured in a Renault Espace or a Peugeot multi-purpose vehicle instead of his official ministerial Mercedes S500.