Lun, Dic 12th 2022
In 1992, Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected joining the EU’s economic agreement. They may have changed their tune over the past 30 years.
It is more beneficial for Switzerland to not join the European Union 30 years after Swiss voters rejected membership to the European Economic Area (EEA) on December 6, 1992, a Swiss government report concluded recently.
For reference, about 1.4 million of Switzerland’s 8.6 million residents are EU citizens. Moreover, the EU is Switzerland’s biggest trading partner and Switzerland is the EU bloc’s fourth-largest trading partner. Therefore “Swiss interests begin in and with Europe,” according to the report.
From 1992 until about 2020, Bern and Brussels have been able to reach bilateral agreements on a variety of issues harmoniously. In May 2021, those discussions reached an impasse after the EU refused to bend to Swiss demands for wage protections, state aid, and freedom of movement within the EU. The European bloc made clear that it would prefer a new, overarching agreement to replace bilateral treaties with the Alpine nation. Since discussions stopped in 2021, there have been criticisms from the left to the right as to how close Switzerland should proceed with the EU.
Bern and Brussels managed to reach bilateral agreements up until 2021 went talks went cold.
Switzerland’s Federal Council last Friday released a report detailing the pros and cons of four options: a free-trade agreement, EEA accession, EU accession, and a continuation of the current bilateral agreement. The report looked at how the different options would affect the country in terms of foreign policy, inter-country cooperation, and how joining the EEA would give Switzerland access to the EU’s internal market. They concluded “that the bilateral approach remains the best solution for Switzerland.”
“In the current global situation, characterized by multiple crises, secure and stable relations between Switzerland and the EU are becoming more important than ever. They guarantee prosperity and stability for both parties,” according to the report. An EU membership would “go beyond” Switzerland’s financial needs and joining would greatly restrict Switzerland’s political movements, the report found. Looking to the future, Bern and Brussels must first “build trust” before entering into negotiations.
“Before Switzerland and the EU can start negotiations, they must find sufficient common ground. Accordingly, the exploratory talks are to be actively continued,” the report concluded.
Switzerland has been an island of independence in an EU sea since the 1990s.
One of the most outspoken critics of Switzerland’s relationship with the EU has been former face of the Swiss People’s Party Christoph Blocher. In a speech he gave marking the 30th anniversary of the vote rejecting the EEA membership, Blocher said the EU “would have ruled Switzerland like the English ruled India, the Belgians ruled Congo, and the Germans ruled Namibia.”
The billionaire businessman announced earlier this year that he now aligns himself with the “Pro-Schweiz/Pro-Suisse” movement which champions a traditional definition of Switzerland’s neutrality. The Pro-Schweiz definition of neutrality would include banning all sanctions on warring nations; a direct response to Switzerland’s move this year to adopt EU sanctions against Russia. The group is currently collecting signatures for a voter referendum that would incorporate this characterization of neutrality into the Swiss constitution.
Meanwhile, the Swiss research institute GFs Bern released results of a poll that indicates Swiss voters desire the country to have closer ties with the EU. In a poll of 1,000 Swiss voters, 71% said they would vote for accession to the EEA. More than 50% said they are dissatisfied with Switzerland’s current relationship with the EU.
Swiss voters will likely see referendums on their future ballots from both the Pro-Swiss and pro-EU groups which may ultimately leave the decision in the people’s hands.
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