Posted on 02/09/2014 9:53:11 AM PST by mandaladon
GENEVA (AP) Voters in Switzerland on Sunday narrowly backed a plan to limit immigration, in a blow for the government after it had warned that the measure could harm the Swiss economy and relations with the European Union. Swiss public television SRF reported that some 50.3 percent of voters backed a proposal by the nationalist People's Party to introduce quotas for all types of immigrants. About 49.7 percent voted against the plan. The difference between the two sides was fewer than 30,000 votes, with a turnout of about 56 percent.
The decision means that the Swiss government will need to renegotiate treaties on the free movement of workers that it had painstakingly hammered out with the EU. Until now, citizens from most EU member states could live and work in Switzerland with little formality, while Swiss citizens could do the same in the 28-nation bloc that encircles the Alpine nation.
Two years ago Switzerland introduced quotas for immigrants from eight central and eastern European nations, a move that already drew heavy criticism from the EU. Ahead of Sunday's referendum business groups warned that many of the 80,000 people who moved to Switzerland last year are vital for the country's economy, and curtailing immigration further could cost Swiss citizens' jobs too.
"We always thought the argument about jobs would win people over," said Urs Schwaller, a lawmaker with the centrist Christian People's Party, told SRF. "Clearly that wasn't enough."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Oh, they'll try, Definitely they'll try, but not sure they will succeed. First of all Switzerland really is ruled by its people, secondly Switzerland is importing some 33% more from the EU than they are exporting to the EU. Who will lose if there is a trade war?
But more importantly, this vote may not have its biggest effects on Switzerland, but on countries like the UK, the Netherlands, France, maybe even Sweden. That part of the global ruling class that goes by the name of Eurocrats are very worried by the elections to the EU "parliament" in June. It looks like anti-immigration, eurosceptic parties will make great wins in the countries mentioned above and some others. One has counted with some 20% of the total vote going to anti-EU parties. However, the vote in free non-EU country Switzerland may just help the eurosceptics to get an even bigger share of the vote. Let's hope so.
Good for them!
Let’s hope it spreads...
how do they feel about the guaranteed income?
Sorry, who is feeling about what guaranteed income?
I have long believed that the Swiss canton-autonomy model is far superior to the US Constitutionally based “Republic.” Their model has kept their federal government at bay for 800 years, while ours did not even last a century. It is often said by observers that the federal (national) government in Switzerland is so irrelevant that even their constituents do not know who they are. Inasmuch as Switzerland was around for centuries before the War of Independence, why did the Founding Fathers not choose this model rather than the failed one they did construct, if their goal was to limit government and promote liberty?
Either the US Constitution is useless to stop collectivism and tyranny since politiwhores can disregard it with impunity, or it is complicit in it.
Even Hitler wanted no part of invading Switzerland. Sure Germany would have ultimately triumphed, but it would have been at a very high cost.
I just went there a few months ago, I found myself envious of the people who live there.
They are nice hosts - but they want to keep t-h-e-i-r country the way it is. Can one blame them?
Don’t blame them one bit.
Same here. :-)
There was something else on the Swiss ballot, I never did hear about the results. Seriously, handouts to everyone... crazy
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