Ambivalent opinions on Europe and the EU in people's everyday lives
2024 is a landmark year for Switzerland’s relations with Europe. The Federal Council plans to conclude treaty negotiations with the EU with a view to modernising and extending the existing bilateral agreements. At the same time, the Bilateral Agreements I were signed 25 years ago and the Bilateral Agreements II 20 years ago. These events provided an opportunity to survey Swiss voters on relations between Switzerland and Europe and thus to gauge public opinion after 25 years of bilateral agreements, assessing the advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of everyday life.
Europe
The survey met with lively interest: Between 16 and 30 September 2024, 19,955 eligible voters took part in the online survey, which was advertised on SRG channels.
The results also point to a great interest in the topics of Europe and the EU, but also to mixed feelings towards the EU in particular: 49 per cent of eligible voters have negative feelings towards the EU. For a minority of 28 per cent, positive feelings predominate. Such negative opinions are based on the loss of national sovereignty, the bureaucracy of the EU and a decision-making process that is perceived as undemocratic. Positive views emphasise the EU as a project for peace and prosperity, the economic advantages and integration into a larger community.
A majority of Swiss people view the bilateral agreements positively overall, especially in left-wing and green circles, while voters close to the SVP and those who are not affiliated with any party are more critical. The bilateral agreements are considered economically important, especially for access to the European market and to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. However, many consider the relevance of these agreements to be less important for themselves personally.
Assessment of the importance of bilateral agreements with the EU
The majority believe that the negative effects of the bilateral agreements include increased immigration, additional strain on social services, wage pressure and rising rents and property prices.
The widely held view that the EU is a democratic juggernaut and cannot adequately respond to the major challenges facing the world has no impact on the assessment of relations between Switzerland and the European Union. However, if relations with the European Union are called into question for individual member states or if there are doubts about the continued existence of the European Union or its democratic integrity, Switzerland’s relations with the European Union are considered to be too far-reaching. Conversely, a view of the benefits – economic or social – reduces this attitude.
With regard to the future of Swiss-EU relations, 71 per cent of voters are generally in favour of the ongoing negotiations on the further development of the bilateral agreements, although the urgency of this is assessed differently. Overall, the Swiss electorate’s attitude towards the EU and the bilateral agreements is characterised by ambivalence and strong political differences.
More information on the ‘Europe in everyday life’ study can be found in the summary report (in German) on the study.
