Double thumbs up.
| Auteur | Anderson, Robert |
| Fonction | Politics |
Swiss voters surprisingly said 'yes' and 'yes' to adopting the Schengen/Dublin treaty and giving rights to same-sex couples by 2008. The move not only puts Switzerland in a position to scrap passport checks at its borders, but also opens the door--just a crack--to the EU.
Just as voter opposition in France and the Netherlands had dealt a resounding blow to the EU constitution in the immediate run-up to the Swiss referendum, citizens of Switzerland moved one step closer to the European Union by accepting the government's proposal to join the Schengen/Dublin accords.
Swiss President Samuel Schmid welcomed the thumbs up from voters on Schengen/Dublin as confirmation that the majority agrees with the government's policy of pursuing ties with the European Union via bilateral agreements. Mr. Schmid said the outcome allows greater cooperation with Switzerland's neighbours in the areas of internal security and asylum.
Welcome to 'Schengenland'
Looking at a map of Europe, the majority of Swiss voters apparently realised that Switzerland had been an island in the middle of Schengenland and, as such, its borders formed the external frontier for the 15 Schengen countries; to remain on the outside looking in could have a debilitating effect on cross-border traffic and the economy.
Swiss citizens probably recalled vividly, the daily kilometre-long traffic jams at the northern border in spring 2004, when Germany decided to show its southern neighbour just how stringent 'by-the-book' controls could be.
By adopting the treaty, Switzerland agrees to permit the free movement of people between the country and EU member states, meaning it will scrap passport controls at border crossings. Moreover, it will implement measures to improve security, introduce a common policy for short-term visas up to three months, join in pan-European coordination of asylum proceedings, cooperate more fully in matters of criminal justice and improve cross-border police cooperation through the exchange of information.
Hard-fought
Voter turnout in the June 5 referendum was an above-average 55.9 per cent, following a recent trend of higher attendance on proposals involving Europe. Swiss voters approved the Schengen /Dublin pact by a margin of 54.6 per cent, or 1,474,704 in favour and 1226,449 opposed.
All French-speaking cantons said 'yes,' but the majority of Swiss cantons--14 out of a total 26--rejected the Schengen/ Dublin proposal. The question was only subject to popular vote...
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