Difficult to imagine that Switzerland will be making a full application for EU membership'

Diana Wallis MEP <info@dianawallismep.org.uk>

Difficult to imagine that Switzerland will be making a full application for EU membership' - Diana Wallis MEP

December 10, 2003 12:00 AM

Wallis: difficult to imagine that Switzerland will be making a full application for EU membership

Commenting on the election to the Government of Swiss far-right leader Christoph Blocher, Diana Wallis MEP, who is Vice-President of the European Parliament's delegation to Switzerland said, "This was in some ways an inevitable consequence of the result of the Swiss elections in October.

"I don't think it will have any impact on short-term relations between the EU and Switzerland as negotiations on the second round of Bilateral Agreements are coming to a close anyway. Long-term, however, it will make it even more difficult to imagine that Switzerland will be making a full application for EU membership."

"Indeed the pressure will now be on for the existing application to be withdrawn from the table. This will be the first test of Mr. Blocher's attitude."

Mr. Blocher's Swiss People's Party demanded a second cabinet seat after election success in October. Mr. Blocher is known for his outspoken views on asylum seekers and immigrants, and is firmly opposed to the EU.

The result marks a political transformation for the country, which has been under the same system of government since World War II. Mr. Blocher's inclusion changes the make-up of Switzerland's four-party coalition for the first time in 44 years. The administration has always included two socialists, two radicals, two Christian Democrats, and one member of the Swiss People's Party.