Jubilant Swiss Tell Brussels To Piss Off!

9th February 2014

Swiss voters have narrowly backed a referendum proposal to bring back strict quotas for immigration from European Union countries.

Final results showed 50.3% voted in favour. The vote invalidates the Swiss-EU agreement on freedom of movement.

Fiercely independent Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but has adopted large sections of EU policy.

Brussels said it regretted the outcome of the vote and would examine its implications.

This is the result the Swiss government and business leaders most feared: support for immigration quotas, by the tiniest of margins. In Switzerland the voters' word is final, and the government will now have to inform the European Union that it wants to "renegotiate" its bilateral agreement on free movement of people. But renegotiation is almost certainly not an option.

The Swiss have already had years to phase in the deal, and Brussels views free movement as integral to participation in Europe's single market. Exclusion from that market could spell disaster for Switzerland's booming economy: over half of all Swiss exports are sold in the EU. What is more, Swiss employers increasingly rely on highly qualified staff from across Europe - they believe they will lose their competitive edge if they are no longer free to employ who they like.

But the right-wing Swiss People's Party is jubilant that its claims of overcrowding, and pressure on Swiss jobs, salaries and housing, found favour with voters. The big question now is, how will Brussels, already under pressure from full EU members like Britain over the impact of free movement, react?

A Yes vote of more than 50% was needed for the referendum to pass.

Swiss media comment
"Faced with the negative effects of the pressures caused by immigration, voters wanted to send out a strong signal"

Tribune de Geneve

"This is far more than a political slap in the face"

Neue Zuercher Zeitung

"Swiss decision puts [UK Prime Minister David] Cameron under pressure"

Headline in Tages Anzeiger

"It can't go on like this, the influx of foreigners is to be restricted: defying the government, parliament, the business community, trade unions and the overwhelming majority of the political parties, the Swiss people today gave the country's economic policy a severe jolt."

Corriere del Ticino


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26108597

Maybe you missed this the other day, but the Swiss have had a referendum (because they are a democracy) on whether to tighten up their borders to Europeans.

They have said yes, make them as tight as you possibly can!

Please discuss.

well the Swiss have been doing that since forever.   it does sound like the EU hasn't fully considered the impact of free movement. there does probably need to be some controls to stop wages being undercut.

It sounds to me like a lot of big companies and their fat cats in charge were really hoping free movement would be a cash cow for them, allowing them to exploit workers from countries that don't have high labor standards without even having to move their facilities.

In the Cory Doctorow novel "For the Win" he imagines a global labor union; I'd love to see that happen. Dues would dwindle to next to nothing, while the insurance pool would still be huge, and workers across the world could strike their hearts out until business and government recognized their rights. I think it's the only way to fix things like Chinese electronics sweatshops and Bangladesh clothing factories that go up like bonfires.

By the way, I changed the headline to the real word -- we don't need to censor that kind of shit here

Swiss are now finding they have got to renegotiate a lot of things and Swiss who have been working in the EU might have to come home, and trade agreements will become null and void.

Sassy wrote:Swiss are now finding they have got to renegotiate a lot of things and Swiss who have been working in the EU might have to come home, and trade agreements will become null and void.

Do you know millions died in the war to defend democracy.

There are many like yourself who don't really care but isn't it nice when some do. In the war the Swiss had an easy time of it I'm sure they won't mind a little discomfort now.

With our politicians collaborating and working all the hours god send to avoid us having a say you might well prevail here. Democracy will be eliminated. In my contention that the EU should take over as Devils advocate you never once took issue with me. You were simply trying to defend Labour for doing their upmost to stop the British people having a say.

How proud you must feel on Remembrance Day.

You really are the biggest idiot in the world. How many more times - I want a referendum, so that people like you can't whinge anymore. Why would I take issue with you, when it was obviously you playing silly games. Got you from your name before you even posted and knew exactly what you were up to.

I didn't make it hard did I? I toyed with James but that was too subtle.

BTW whinge!!! I declare you think my concerns about democracy are so unimportant they can best be described as a whinge.

Therefore you are saying yet again you don't think democracy is important and if you say that honestly the same people who died to keep it did so to give you the right to say it.

Just be honest for a change you might grow to like it.

Had I wanted to be covert you wouldn't have found me for quite some time.

good for them, what a pity Britain is so spineless..

BigAndy9 wrote:
Maybe you missed this the other day... the Swiss had a referendum.. on whether to tighten up to [other..] Europeans.

They said yes, making them as tight as you possibly can!

Please discuss.

  

I'VE always regarded the Swiss as the 'tightest' nationality in Europe...

This latest referendum simply confirms that long-held observation..

Along with the Finn's, they are also one of the 'whitest' countries on the planet.    

Beekeeper wrote:

BigAndy9 wrote:
Maybe you missed this the other day... the Swiss had a referendum.. on whether to tighten up to [other..]  Europeans.

They said yes, making them as tight as you possibly can!

Please discuss.

  

I'VE always regarded the Swiss as the 'tightest' nationality in Europe...

This latest referendum simply confirms that long-held observation..

Along with the Finn's, they are also one of the 'whitest' countries on the planet.    

Indeed Beekeeper.

That's because the people born there are white.

Maybe you should start a petition to force all white people to blacken their faces at least 2 days per week.

@bigandy
can't that's racist....blackface     

 ::troll::