The rocky relationship between Switzerland and the European Union

Julie Hunt

Julie worked as a radio reporter for BBC and independent radio all over the UK before joining swissinfo.ch’s predecessor, Swiss Radio International, as a producer. After attending film school, Julie worked as an independent filmmaker before coming to swissinfo.ch in 2001. 

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The bilateral treaty framework between Switzerland and the EU has been continuously developed over the decades, but negotiations collapsed in 2021, when the Swiss government rejectedExternal link the proposed Swiss-EU institutional framework agreement.

Attempts to reach a new agreement foundered over concerns about Swiss sovereignty and the free movement of people agreement, one of the four basic freedoms on which the European Union is built. The Swiss government has now proposed a package of new and revised cooperation and market access agreements.

But the EU deal faces stiff opposition from right and left-wing parties in Switzerland, who could organise referendums against any new legislation. This video takes a closer look at the complex relationship between the Alpine state and the EU.