Developments on the Swexit front

[secret.simon]

This week has seen some positive developments in the Switzerland-EU discussion.

Switzerland voted to restrict immigration from within the EU in February 2014. That referendum is legally binding on the Swiss government to implement in three years, by February 2017. The Swiss government has been negotiating with the EU for a way forward, but the negotiations have been hampered by Brexit, in so far as the EU does not wish to make any concessions to Switzerland that would create a precedent for the UK.

Nonetheless, this week, the National Council (the lower House of the Swiss Parliament) looked at proposals that, rather than restricting migration outright, would prioritise local residents (which includes EEA citizens already resident in Switzerland; about a quarter of Swiss residents are EEA citizens) for local jobs. The European Commission President, Jean Claude Juncker seems to be giving out broadly favourable signals, though the negotiations are still at a very early stage.

More reading
WSJ: Switzerland Moves Closer to Compromise Over EU Immigration

Politico: EU, Switzerland stuck on immigration

FT: Switzerland: An immigration model for Brexit or a cautionary tale?

The FT article is really detailed in its analysis and highly recommended reading.

And in a lighter vein, some analysis of when England (as then) broke away from a highly centralised European bureaucracy.

Brexiters are 500 years behind the times

A tale of two divorces

[Noetic]

Looks like at least one passport will still allow me free movement after Brexit...

On a serious note it is thanks to this vote that I applied for my PR document back in 2014 and ultimately applied for citizenship here after having every edition of the LITUK books since about 2005 so at least something good has come of it.