On September 27, Swiss voters overwhelmingly struck down a referendum calling to end a treaty with the European Union that allowed free movement of citizens of the EU into and out of the country. The public voted against the referendum 62% to 38%. The Swiss government is structured under a direct democracy, allowing citizens to regularly vote on several referendums. Proponents of the most recent referendum say that its passing would allow Switzerland to strengthen its borders and take back control over immigration. Most of the proponents were members of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), but the opponents included the government, parliament and unions. Opponents feared that the referendum would hurt Swiss-EU relations since Switzerland is not a member of the EU and only has “treaties” with the Union. They also feared it would send the economy into a recession during uncertain times stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic, since over 60% of Swiss exports travel to other EU countries. They also argued that the referendum’s passage would severely limit the mobility of Swiss citizens and their ability to live elsewhere, pointing out the fact that 1.4 million EU citizens work in Switzerland and over half a million Swiss live and work in the EU elsewhere. The economic consequences undoubtedly swayed the voting population, and the accord between the EU and Switzerland allowing the free movement of people is still intact.
Trevor Mohrmann
Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54316316
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