Swiss Referendum Limits EU Immigrant Access

Swiss Referendum Limits EU Immigrant Access

After a much publicized and highly controversial vote, Switzerland chose to limit access to workers that hail from European Union countries. The vote, while highly criticized by Brussels, reflects a growing right-wing, populist agenda in most EU countries that basses its political program on anti-immigration measures.

Politicians in Brussels addressed the vote that could significantly change Switzerland’s treaty with the 28-country EU block. They said that the measure could have a huge impact on Swiss businesses as their access to the 500 million consumer market of the European Union could be threatened.

Switzerland, a non European Union member, first signed a free-boarders treaty with the EU back in 1999. Since then, the growing discontent with immigration bills and the increased popularity of right-wing parties have made the Swiss nation the first to actually implement laws that prohibit EU citizens access to Swiss jobs.

According the Toni Brunner, leader of the Swiss People’s Party and main backer of the referendum, Switzerland is a “pioneer for the whole of Europe”. Brunner has also recently launched a measure to ban mosque minarets in the country.

The harsh economic troubles that has plagued Europe for the better part of the decade have channeled a lot of ill feelings towards immigrants and have transformed far right parties with little to no importance into huge political players in countries all across the EU.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday February 12 2014, 4:46 AM EST. Ref: WashingtonPost. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0