Swiss public open to closer ties with EU, survey says
Flagging: Efforts to break the diplomatic deadlock between Switzerland and the EU have come to nothing
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
The Swiss are more open than expected to aligning themselves closer with the European Union via measures that go beyond the current bilateral agreements – provided they are accompanied by safeguards, according to a study.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Suíços querem estreitar laços com a UE, diz pesquisa
Even an updated agreement on free movement would have a chance, said the survey of 4,349 people throughout Switzerland conducted by the University of St Gallen in spring.
The results, published on Thursday, revealed that the Swiss consider job protection to be of central importance in a possible agreement with the EU.
Respondents were more willing to compromise regarding wage protection. If they were clearly informed about the issues at stake, the Swiss would be willing to go further than the red line they had set for themselves until now, reckoned the study’s leader, political scientist Tina Freyburg.
More
More
Why Switzerland doesn’t want to join the European Union
This content was published on
From money to direct democracy: we look at some of the main reasons behind Switzerland’s decision not to join the 27-nation bloc.
What’s more, it turns out that respondents thought “pragmatic and proportionate accompanying measures” would not be incompatible with EU regulations. Freyburg believed that a draft agreement would stand a chance if it were presented to the Swiss people.
In 2021 Switzerland unilaterally broke off negotiations on a framework deal to replace the more than 120 bilateral accords which have regulated relations for the past decades. That led to a souring of relations between Bern and Brussels. Efforts to break the diplomatic deadlock have come to nothing.
More
More
Diplomatic efforts fail to break Swiss-EU deadlock
This content was published on
Switzerland no closer to regaining full access to EU science and education projects, despite a further round of exploratory talks.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
This content was published on
Citing “substantial differences”, the government has decided not to move ahead with a controversial institutional agreement on relations with the EU.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.