Free movement vote could result in ‘Swiss Brexit’ [from bilateral agreements with EU]

TheLocal.ch ^ | 17 January 2018 10:27 CET+01:00

[Olog-hai]

Switzerland may not be in the European Union, but it could nevertheless face its own “Brexit” if the Swiss people were to vote against the free movement of people.

That’s the conclusion of commentators following the launch of the SVP’s new popular initiative, which wants to ask the Swiss public to decide, once and for all, if they wish to maintain the country’s current relationship with the EU or go their own way.

The initiative “For limited immigration” proposes that Switzerland manage its immigration policy unilaterally. If accepted at referendum, the Swiss government would have one year to put an end to the country's free movement agreement with the EU, which currently allows EU citizens to work and live freely in Switzerland, and vice versa.

Doing so would undoubtedly throw Swiss-EU relations into disarray, since the free movement agreement is part of a package of seven bilaterals signed in 1999 covering agriculture, research, civil aviation, transport and trade.

Under the so-called guillotine clause, ending one of these seven bilaterals would put an end to them all. And the EU is unlikely to shift from this position, since it has always maintained — as it is currently impressing upon Britain — that a country cannot have access to the single market without accepting free movement. …

[marktwain]

The Swiss have been better than most at refusing national suicide.

I hope they will vote the correct way.

I told a Swiss visitor, about 1993, that voting to give women the franchise would be a disaster.

The last of the Swiss cantons gave the franchise to women a couple of years later, and now all the anti-Swiss referendum are pushed by a coalition of women and socialists.

[Robert DeLong]

You can & should go your own way Switzerland.

[Rinnwald]

Can we call it the “European Doughnut” (ED) because there will be hole in the middle?