Swiss Abroad Fear The Consequences Of A Standoff With The EU

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The delegates of the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) exchanged views with the members of the Swiss Abroad parliamentary group on the new treaties between Switzerland and the EU and the popular initiative 'No to a Switzerland of 10 million!'. This content was published on March 20, 2026 - 10:11 8 minutes

Emigration, returning to Switzerland, family, education, pensions, banking, insurance... I care about Swiss people living abroad and inform them about the issues that concern them. Passionate about languages and cultures, my career path took a short turn through marketing and assistant work before crossing the road into journalism, in a job that allows me to converse with people from all over the world.

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In my work, I focus on topics that are relevant to Swiss citizens abroad – from political developments in Switzerland and their impact on the diaspora to social, economic, and cultural issues. Before joining SWI swissinfo, I worked as a local journalist for the Aargauer Zeitung. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Multilingual Communication and, as is typically Swiss, completed an apprenticeship as a commercial employee.

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The topics discussed are diverse but they have one thing in common: they could affect the mobility of Swiss citizens – especially those living in Europe. And that's a large number: 64% of all Swiss Abroad live in EU countries.

The Bilateral Agreements III – the package of agreements that regulates relations between Switzerland and the EU in several areas – formed the first topic of discussion in the round of talks between parliamentarians from the main Swiss parties and the members of the CSA present in Bern.

No benefits without obligations

The delegates from the diaspora emphasised the advantages of the agreements with the EU for Switzerland.

“Sustainable freedom of movement also requires accepting its rules. You cannot benefit from the advantages without assuming the associated obligations,” said Konstantin Kokinos, delegate for Greece.

Several delegates also directly questioned parliamentarian Roland Büchel, the representative of the right-wing Swiss People's Party and the only opponent of the Bilateral Agreements III present. Can Switzerland truly benefit from the European market if it simultaneously rejects the corresponding framework? Are all Swiss People Party members really against the agreements with the EU? What would happen to Switzerland's position as a center of science and its education programs if the agreements were rejected?

The concerns and arguments raised failed to budge Büchel. He criticised an agreement that, from his party's perspective, had“nothing bilateral” about it and would oblige Switzerland to adopt foreign law – to the detriment of direct democracy.

This stance sparked reactions among the members of the CSA.“The time when Switzerland could live in isolation is over,” said Beat Knoblauch, the delegate for Australia.

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