Swiss public open to closer ties with EU, survey says
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.
This content was published on
Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2023
This content was published on
The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
Coercion still an issue in Swiss welfare system, report finds
This content was published on
The rights of vulnerable people are still sometimes disregarded by the Swiss welfare system, a national research programme has found.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
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.