What do you think about it? I'm currently still reading them through and tbh it's horrible. I think it somehow has more disadvantages than advantages for us:

● Dynamic adoption of legislation: Switzerland must adopt newly enacted EU laws as quickly as possible
● In the event of disputes, international arbitration tribunals will decide
● Compensatory measures: The EU can impose sanctions in the event of non-compliance

Then there is also the cohesion contribution of 350mio. CHF per year to the EU.

I think mainly because of those points it's a loss of national autonomy for Switzerland. Especially through high costs without much rights in the EU (like voting rights on new legalislation in the EU). It goes against the (half) direct democracy of Switzerland imho.

by clapalienbuttcheek

34 comments

  1. I share your worries, but I wonder about specifics. We already are influenced from the outside and it wasn’t always bad. Women suffrage is a direct result from an international treaty. European courts would force our government to do more for the environment, same with corporate international responsibility our neighbors are more advanced.

    Sure, the EU is neoliberal, but we’re stuck with a conservative government that thinks we’re some kind of island instead of the dead center of Europe hosting tons of important international actors.

    At this point I can’t say what’s better…

  3. The forced adoptation of EU laws and the endorsed sanctions upon failure to do so alone means it will fail, not even mentionioning all the rest.

    The swiss tend to be somewhat fond of democracy and since that goes against the current EUs design I see little chance of such treaties succeeding for now.

  4. Regarding ‘Compensatory measures’ in the case of non-compliance

    > Die Massnahmen dürfen nur im Bereich der Binnenmarktabkommen greifen und müssen verhältnismässig sein.

    I mean…that sounds better than what we have today where the EU can leverage anything and everything against us (remember the Horizon or the stock market equivalency farce?)

    As for it going against the (half) direct democracy of Switzerland:

    When we voted on bilateral agreements it was always: either adopt the changes or the whole thing comes crashing down (guillotine clause). Now it’s much more nuanced, which seems like big progress to me.

  5. I believe this will be ripped apart when we vote on it. I think the main issues are around the “Dynamic adoption of legislation” as well as the unspecified 14 measurements about the wages.

    Swiss voters aren’t willing to accept anything that could interfere with their political rights. Wage dumping could become an issue (already is in certain parts of the country).

    I don’t know what would be a proper solution, we need the EU, they need us (before anybody comes in here crying they don’t: North / South route, our participation in various projects and such).

    Additionally a huge problem on this will be our participation during votes. Around 60% of those having the right do not vote.

  6. Will fail.
    but most likely the Grenzschutz, Kompass – and Neutralitätsinitiative will get through.

  7. almost everyone can find something that’s a dealbreaker for them. unless the federal council delivers a communication / storytelling miracle, it will fail to go through even without the ständemehr

  8. I have the solution.

    It’s time to join.

    Not for Switzerland to join the EU.

    The EU can join Switzerland and form new cantons.

    I will take no questions.

  9. Considering state of EU it would be more logical to have dynamic laws for EU to adopt.

  10. I would veto this package, EU is trying to enslave switzerland

  11. What did you expect it would take to partizipate in the EU free trade zone?

    Of course switzerland would need to adopt the same standards (this is what the adoption of laws means), otherwise you’d have a participant in the free trade zone who could give themselves an advantage, which is unfair.

    Of course there needs to be a court to arbitrate in the event of dispute. Do you think it would be fair for a swiss court to arbitrate between the two countries? The courts mentioned in the document are a neutral arbiter, exactly what it takes in such a situation.

    And of course there needs to be cohesion payments. All the other participants in the free trade zone pay them, if they are above the average in economic power. Why would switzerland get an exception?
    This is the same we do in switzerland with the Finanzausgleich between the economically strong cantons and the weak cantons. It’s to smooth over economic differences. Free trade zones need this to work properly.

    In short: The EU does basically set the same standards for the partizipation in the free trade zone as for the other members of the free trade zone. I don’t see how this is supposed to be unfair. It’s not like we are forced to partizipate, but these are the rules and in the past we have have profited enormously from our partizipation in the EU market.

  13. By the way, there is – as always in the Swiss legislative process– a public consultation (“Vernehmlassung”) where **anyone** concerned can send their comments on this proposal to the Swiss authorities.

    The documents can be found [here](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/de/consultation-procedures/ongoing#https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2025/47/cons_1) and the response form can be found [here](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2025/47/cons_1/doc_7/de/docx/fedlex-data-admin-ch-eli-dl-proj-2025-47-cons_1-doc_7-de-docx.docx).

    Edit: Lol, the downvoters seem to have no respect for the Swiss democratic process. As to be expected from EU lovers…

  16. Looks like a great agreement for Switzerland – the only way forward to keep our country succesful in the future. Everything else is imho arrogant and delusional thinking (similar somehow to Trump voters)

  17. > In the event of disputes, international arbitration tribunals will decide

    … yeah… who else would you think should decide?

  18. If you want to be part of the common market you need to have the same rules as the rest, this means that new legislation will need to be accepted in line with the member states. I am really surprised that people complain about such a basic principle

  20. A reluctant ‘yes’.

    But a ‘yes’ regardless…

  21. I feel this is not too dissimilar to the Brexit discussion. The UK figured they’d have more freedom without close integration with the EU, only to find out that the end result is that they still have to follow EU rules, but now have no say in their making anymore.

  22. Sounds reasonable. If all countries want to do it their own way, Europe is fragmented and economically weak. The EU makes a lot of sense, but it means members must give up some independence. We Swiss want to be half in, so we must also give up some independence. Having a tribunal for disputes seems fair.

  23. As a Dane living in Switzerland; nothing good will come from this.

    The EU bureaucracy is incredibly undemocratic and top-down. It is the direct opposite of the Swiss model of decentralization and “bottom-up”; which, looking from the pov of a guest in your country, is why this place works as well as it does.

    All studies point to more decentralization and local governance as being the key factor to social thriving. That’s not to say Switzerland doesn’t face challenges; but who doesn’t. That’s how the world works.

    I hope you all vote to retain your independence.

  24. In the end the approval by the Swiss People will depend on how the various parties will communicate about it and to what extent they will want to use the vote internally. In 2014 the negotiations failed, so parties were free to leverage this as they saw fit (and of course the SVP could push and harvest the anti-EU sentiment). This time, if an agreement is now reached, it is much more difficult for parties (SVP included) to push for a no-vote (“we negotiated this, but, you know, it’s best of you vote no”). They will, of course, but the tone of the communication might be very different.

  26. Bias or uniformed post.

    1- Dynamic adoption (not automatic) means that the new pieces of EU legislation that should be adopted in Switzerland are sent to the bipartisan committee by default. There, Switzerland can still refuse to adopt them. And the EU could take compensatory measures. 

    2- Arbitration: in case of a dispute each party (CH and EU) appoints its arbitrators which in turn appoint the president, so you have a neutral judicial body, instead of the nothing we have now, that leads to stalls and years of petty retaliation.

    3- Compensatory measures: BOTH PARTIES can take them if the arbitration tribunal has deemed that the other is at fault. Seems logic and fair, no?

    4- “High costs without voting rights”. Jesus H. Christ the concept is always the same since 1990s and the EEA. If you are a member of the EU you are part of the internal market, and you vote on relevant legislation, if you are not a member you are excluded from the internal market and you don’t vote on the relevant legislation. EFTA members wanted to be able to trade in the internal market but not be members, so it’s obvious that you have to adopt the relevant legislation, but you don’t get to vote. The EU never forced EFTA members to adopt any legislation, it’s the price to access the internal market.

    Now I wait UDC/SVP idiots downvotes.

  27. This isn’t good. One of the few countries worth living in Europe right now is Switzerland and non of the EU ones are even close.

  28. Unfortunately, according to a recentish poll a majority of voters support this agreement. And who knows there might be more people blinded by their hatred for Donald Trump who think that the EU is “our friend”. I for one don’t look forward to our continued decline in living standards. According to our own government real wages have not increased since 2015, but supposedly we are richer because of the EU. Letting in over a million Europeans into Switzerland definitely has not depressed wages and increased rents…

  29. Why does Switzerland needs to get in the EU. Please don’t.

  34. I am not Swiss, I am here 10 years. I appreciate Switzerland, buying expensive local products sometimes is painful, but I live here I want my money to stay here and contribute to local market. Switzerland is amazing country with great culture and good political and school system.

    I don’t want it to change I really like this country as an island on the see of stupidity

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