“Let us stay strong”

A message from the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland

[Note: Sub-headings and emboldening of text are by Facts4EU.Org]

Dear Editors, and dear readers of Facts4EU,

Almost exactly 28 years ago, on 6 December 1992, the Swiss voted against joining the European Economic Area (EEA). Voter turnout was a very high 78%. It was a decision for independence, self-reliance, and a vote to stay away from the diktats of the EU.

It was a decision which has served Switzerland very well.

The Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland was instrumental in that 1992 vote and many of our members remember those days and are ready to take up the fight again. And we will most likely have to do so (see further below).

The parallels with Brexit are striking

Just like with Brexit, before the vote we were told of the impending economic doom should we refuse to join the EEA. Virtually all business and opinion leaders, the Swiss government, and politicians from all parties (with one exception), warned us that:

• Overall unemployment would rise dramatically;
• Youth unemployment would soar;
• Multi-national companies would relocate their business or leave the country altogether;
• That only a vote to join the EEA would be a vote for prosperity;
• And that otherwise our country would be isolated.

And just like with Brexit, after the vote was cast, virtually all politicians and the entire commentariat lamented the ‘mistaken’ decision. One of our federal councillors even branded the day a ‘dark Sunday’ for Switzerland, and a ‘dark Sunday for all young Swiss’.

The Swiss version of ‘Project Fear’ proved just as wrong as the UK version

Ever since the vote, Swiss politics has been polarised (as with the issue of losers’ consent over Brexit) on the issue of European integration. And the question of how much alignment with the EU is appropriate has been continually a matter of political debates and votes.

Of the economic doom predictions uttered in the early 1990s, however, none ever materialised.

In some sense, it was and still is easier for Switzerland than it is now for the UK. Thanks to the foresight and diligence of Swiss diplomat Paul Jolles, Switzerland has had a free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU (then the EC) since 1972. And the agreement does not have a ‘guillotine clause’, which would allow the EU to exert political pressure on Switzerland.

The EU’s attempts at ‘judicial imperialism’ over Switzerland echo those over the UK

Nowadays, the EU wants Switzerland to accept a new so called Framework Agreement which would put Switzerland’s many bilateral agreements with the EU into a single framework. As part of this agreement the European Court of Justice will become the final arbiter in matters of dispute between Switzerland and the EU.

Professor Carl Baudenbacher, former President of the EFTA court, pointed out that granting the ECJ such powers outside the EU’s jurisdiction is a concept the EU originally developed for Ukraine, Moldovia and Georgia; countries which expressed interest to join the EU eventually. Whilst countries that wish to join the EU may be willing to grant the ECJ such extra-territorial powers, it is an imperialistic manoeuvre to place such conditions to trade negotiations with countries that do not wish to join or indeed wish to leave the EU.

It should be self-evident that democratic and economically strong countries like yours and ours should simply walk away from negotiations whenever such proposals of ‘judicial imperialism’ are made.

The EU’s deplorable negotiating spirit was also highlighted in an episode in 2019. Back then, the EU had threatened to withdraw the equivalence license of the Swiss börse [stock exchange], because the negotiations on the Framework Agreement had not progressed sufficiently – not sufficiently in the eyes of the EU, of course! The Swiss government however did not succumb to this threat, and even though the EU eventually withdrew the equivalence license, not much came of it in the end.

The EU fears the UK’s post-Brexit prosperity

And this is the heart of the matter: The EU fears that the UK will prosper once it has left the EU, and thus it is in the EU’s interest to minimise the chances of a positive outcome for the UK. It is for the same reason that Switzerland is not ‘liked’ by the EU; she has dared to be outside the EU and she has been successful.

Switzerland and the UK share challenges of sovereignty, independence and freedom

Both our countries face significant challenges to retain our sovereignty, independence and freedom. It is not a surprise that the two countries with the deepest roots in democracy and federalism (on this side of the Atlantic) demonstrate the strongest resistance against the EU’s super-state ambitions.

We should never forget the parallels and the similarities of our two countries; indeed we should always strive for good relations. For Switzerland, we hope that we will be able to avoid a Framework Agreement with the EU that would put our country under the spell of the ECJ.

We are confident that the UK will succeed and prosper outside the EU, and we certainly wish your country well. For the sake of sovereignty, trade and peace, let us stay strong.

Sincerely,
The Board of the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland.