Switzerland Reverses the Trend of European Integration

The outcome of a recent referendum in Switzerland will make it more difficult for Bern to maintain the balance between European integration and independence. Though not a member of the European Union, Switzerland has participated in the process of European integration for decades through a number of bilateral agreements with Brussels. During the Feb. 9 referendum, the Swiss approved an initiative by the right-wing Swiss People's Party that calls for the introduction of annual immigration quotas.

The initiative will require the Swiss government to renegotiate its agreement with the European Union on the free movement of labor. Frustrated by the selective approach to European integration, Brussels will probably make things difficult for Switzerland. However, the union's position is likely to be undermined in the coming years as Euroskeptical forces and concerns over inadequate democratic accountability gain prominence in EU member states and weaken the process of EU integration from within.