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.
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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.
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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.
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Diplomatic efforts fail to break Swiss-EU deadlock
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Switzerland no closer to regaining full access to EU science and education projects, despite a further round of exploratory talks.
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The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
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The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
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Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
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More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
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A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
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The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
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Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
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Citing “substantial differences”, the government has decided not to move ahead with a controversial institutional agreement on relations with the EU.
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