Voters Say No to EU Negotiations
Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected calls for immediate membership talks with the European Union, underlining the Alpine nation’s tenacious independence at the heart of the continent.
In a national referendum, an unexpectedly high 77% voted against the “Yes to Europe” proposal, which called for the government to begin talks on joining the trading bloc.
The government campaigned against the proposal as politically premature. Although the seven-member Cabinet has repeatedly said it wants Switzerland to join the EU, it argues that public opinion won’t permit that until at least 2010.
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