Swiss abroad emphasize the importance of the free movement of persons
Published: Thursday, Jul 11th 2024, 18:20
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At the 100th Congress of the Swiss Abroad on Thursday in Lucerne, the Swiss Abroad adopted a resolution on the negotiations on the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU. In it, they call on the Federal Council to take the interests of the Swiss abroad into account.
The Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) announced on Thursday that the good residence and working conditions of the 466,200 Swiss nationals living in the EU or EFTA states are due to the free movement of persons. This is of "crucial importance" and must be guaranteed at all costs.
The delegates expressed their delight that negotiations with the EU had been resumed, as was reported. However, they also expressed concern about the ongoing difficulties in the negotiations and their possible consequences for the Swiss abroad.
The Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) is calling on the Federal Council to press ahead with negotiations with the EU so that a new agreement can be submitted to Parliament for ratification as soon as possible.
Dependent on offers
Also on the agenda for Thursday was the popular initiative "200 francs is enough". This calls for a reduction in SRG fees from CHF 335 to CHF 200. The delegates voted against the initiative by a large majority.
This is because the CSA fears a deterioration in the information available to the Swiss abroad if the proposal is accepted. Access to political information is often limited, which is why people are dependent on high-quality and independent services such as those provided by the SRG, it said.
In its 2023 to 2027 election manifesto, the OSA had already called for the media to maintain or even expand their services for the Swiss abroad despite the Confederation's financial difficulties.
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