- Title: SWITZERLAND: SWISS VOTERS TAKE PART IN REFERENDUM ON EU MEMBERSHIP
- Date: 2nd March 2001
- Summary: BERN, SWITZERLAND (RECENT)(REUTERS) 1. SV POSTER WITH A GAGGED CHICKEN READING "TO BECOME POORER - TO LOOSE OUR FREEDOM - NO TO EU (EUROPEAN UNION) ENTRY" 0.04 2. CU POSTER READING "NO TO EU ENTRY" 0.13 3. SV LOCAL MARKET 0.18 4. CU STICKER WITH PRICE 0.22 5. SV PEOPLE AT MARKET 0.26 6. MCU (Swiss German) SALESMAN AT LOCAL MARKET, ASKED WHO HE WILL VOTE FOR ON SUNDAY (MARCH 4), SAYING: " It's obvious. I don't want to loose my freedom and I don't want to be ruled by Brussels. It's better to be an isolated island than to be part of the E.U." 0.47 7. PAN OF VEGETABLE STALL 0.54 8. MCU (Swiss German) UNIDENTIFIED SWISS COUPLE WHEN ASKED WHO THEY WILL VOTE FOR ON SUNDAY, SAYING: "Yes, of course. We have already voted (by mail). It's not a question. We are Swiss but also European. We want to be part of Europe." 1.12 9. CU POSTER READING "TAKE OUR CHANCES/NEGOTIATE NOW - EUROPE EVOLVES - WE SHOULD HELP BUILD IT" 1.19 10. SLV/SV EXTERIORS OF SWISS PARLIAMENT (2 SHOTS) 1.29 11. SLV SWISS ECONOMICS MINISTER PASCAL COUCHEPIN SPEAKING TO A JOURNALIST IN HIS OFFICE 1.33 12. MCU (French) PASCAL COUCHEPIN, SWISS ECONOMICS MINISTER, SAYING: "We think that Switzerland's future is in the European Union but we don't agree with their (campaigners) wish to force us to start immediate negotiations. The Swiss people are not ready and besides that we have just opened the bilateral accords (with the EU). Now we have to apply them and also undertake a certain number of reforms in Switzerland to have a realistic chance of obtaining the Swiss people's consent for EU membership and that's going to take years." 2.03 13. SV EXTERIOR OF SWISS NATIONAL BANK 2.08 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (FILE) (REUTERS) 14. CU MACHINE COUNTING SWISS MONEY (2 SHOTS) 2.17 15. CU PULL OUT SV SWISS VAULTS 2.29 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 2, 2001)(REUTERS) 16. SV MAN BUYING A MAGAZINE 2.39 17. CU TICKET SHOWING VAT RATE 2.42 VAUD, SWITZERLAND (RECENT)(REUTERS) 18. LV SWISS FARMER WORKING THE FIELD (2 SHOTS) 2.53 19. SLV COWS IN A FIELD 2.59 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (RECENT - FEBRUARY 21, 2001)(REUTERS) 20. SLV FREDERIC ESPOSITO TALKING TO REPORTER 3.01 21. MCU (French) FREDERIC ESPOSITO, ONE OF THE ORGANISERS OF THE "YES TO EUROPE" CAMPAIGN, SAYING: "It's true that we really want Switzerland to be ready (to join), but I have to say that no member state has ever been ready before it joined, and than, specially because the European Union is still in full movement and is a dynamic construction and the best way of adapting to this environment is to take part in this dynamic and not bury it." 3.22 22. SLV PEOPLE ON STREETS OF GENEVA 3.27 23. MCU (French) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, SAYING: "I'll vote no for as long as I don't know with what sauce I'll be eaten with, and as long as we don't have discussions." 3.35 24. CU POSTER READING "EUROPE EVOLVES - SWITZERLAND WATCHES - YES TO THE REFERENDUM OF MARCH 4TH" 3.39 25. CU POSTER READING "NO" 3.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th March 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERN, GENEVA, VAUD AND ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVAENPOG34WE4GMNJO1XRNHLVH8W
- Story Text: Swiss voters have been presented with a chance to
decide on their country's immediate future in the heart of
Europe. They are about to take part in a referendum that calls
on their government to begin membership talks immediately with
the European Union.
Switzerland, despite its position in the centre of the
continent, is one of the last countries in western Europe that
is not a member of the European Union (EU). This weekend the
Swiss will have a chance to end their historical isolation by
voting on a referendum proposal on Sunday (March 4) that calls
on the federal government to start immediate membership
negotiations with the European Union.
But it's a divisive issue. How the landlocked country of
7.1 million people should go about cementing ties with its
neighbours without sacrificing its cherished neutrality and
century-old direct democracy has long been a thorny issue in
Switzerland.
A salesman from Bern said he was likely to vote "no" in
Sunday's referendum.
"I don't want to loose my freedom and I don't want to be ruled
by Brussels," he said.
On the other hand a Swiss couple said they supported the
"yes" vote.
"Yes, of course. We have already voted (by mail). It's not
a question. We are Swiss but also European. We want to be part
of Europe," they said.
Despite its belief that EU membership will be a good thing
for the country in a more distant future, the Swiss government
opposes the "Yes to Europe" initiative brought by pro-European
campaigners -- who filled for the referendum in 1996 after
collecting the 100,000 supporting signatures required by law
for calling such a vote.
"We think that Switzerland's future is in the European
Union but we don't agree with their (campaigners) wish to
force us to start immediate negotiations. The Swiss people
are not ready and besides that we have just opened the
bilateral accords (with the EU)," said Swiss economics
minister, Pascal Couchepin.
"Now we have to apply them and also undertake a certain
number of reforms in Switzerland to have a realistic chance of
obtaining the Swiss people's consent for EU membership and
that's going to take years," he added.
Many Swiss, including their ministers, feel that they
need to work out some outstanding issues such as their prized
banking secrecy -- which EU countries want to abolish -- and
low VAT rates, that would have to double (from 7.6% to about
15% minimum) if ever the Swiss join the 15-nation bloc.
Few Swiss see the benefits of giving up their traditional
strong currency, the franc, in favour of the European single
currency which has languished against other key currencies.
They also want to protect a complex system of agricultural
subsidies which props up small-scale alpine farms.
Yet, the people behind the proposal believe that the
issues raised are the very reasons why talks with Brussels
should start now. They argue that the Swiss system is so
cumbersome that it would take years to complete an agreement.
They also claim joining the EU will give the Swiss a say in
key European decisions that already affect the country.
Frederic Esposito, one of the organisers of the "Yes to
Europe" campaign agreed that they wanted "Switzerland to be
ready (to join)".
"I have to say that no member state has ever been ready
before it joined, and then, specially because the European
Union is still in full movement and is a dynamic construction
and the best way of adapting to this environment is to take
part in this dynamic and not bury it," he added.
Whatever the outcome on Sunday, Switzerland is already
edging closer to its neighbours. In recent years they have
signed a series of accords with the European Union. And last
year, Swiss voters approved seven bilateral economic
agreements on issues such as transport and free movement of
labour, that still need to be ratified.
One woman speaking from Geneva said, "I'll vote no for as
long as I don't know with what sauce I'll be eaten with, and
as long as we don't have discussions."
With opinion polls indicating that the pro-European
proposal will be rejected this weekend (only a third of Swiss
voters are in favour), political observers are predicting that
the Swiss and their neighbours will have to be satisfied with
this piecemeal approach for at least another decade to come.
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