Switzerland's Unique Relationship with the EU Explained: How Does the Swiss Deal Work? - TLDR News 

Swiss superpower

Yes to this

an interesting idea, i see a lot of opportunity in that

Politicians are pathological liars, they tell you what's necessary to get elected and do what suits them best when they are elected. So a system like Switzerland's that keeps them constantly in check, where every single decision they make, can be overturned by the people, would constitute a massive increase of power of the PEOPLE within the EU.

This! EU should ask for Swiss membership! Or at least adopt the swiss political model. Did you know that the Swiss has no head of state? It's brilliant.

Thats funny because they're completely land locked

@@dazza2350 well they have a river that goes into the ocean

west europe is already weak at their own point it would be better if switzerland joins EU and NATO and also for the austria to join NATO also because western european is not a strong force enough when russia which is also a european power is already against them and europe has been always divided Europe being one country including all former eastern bloc states especially russia would make them a lot powerful to counter china

@@MTC008 Never ever will Switzerland join the Eu mate

@@NICOLAS-ol9fq maybe because switzerland is afraid to get invaded or to have wars that will lead to the occupation of their country OR swiss have a very weak army and afraid to join any organization that involve military and economy will lead them to dangers of war

It's cold!!

I bet the obsticle on why they won't join has to do with fishing rights

@@jokuvaan5175 It actually had to do with the Incelandic banking system which collapsed in 2009 and took out a lot of investments from EU member states. EU member states asked for reparations which Iceland refused. Then countries like the UK and Netherlands started vetoing Iceland so that they couldn't join the union. To this day Iceland still hasn't paid these financial institutions back even though Iceland had an agreement to compensate a certain % of losses in case of a bank run.

I live in Norway!!

@@joey199412 Oh right. I forgot that happened

Don’t agree! Greetings from Belgium.

Much of the popular Swiss chocolate is produced in german locations (since it is cheaper) ;). It isn’t pricier because it is produced there - it is pricier because there is „Swiss“ printed on the packaging.

And cheese :P

@@MetallicReg Well but you can't put the Swiss on it if it wasn't made (very complicated and food specific) in CH.

@@MetallicReg Indeed. Germany is used as a cheap labour country for many swiss products and services.

And far more honest than the UK.

As an Austrian, I see the Swiss as our slighty quirky but very smart and hardworking neighbours who seem to know exactly what they want. If they want to join, awesome, if they don't, wonderful. I don't think the Swiss would overly benefit from joining at this point, other than maybe some streamlining of processes. I highly doubt that they would every completely break with the EU through, considering how many people have to cross the Austria/Switzerland border alone on a daily basis. Being landlocked usually means you can't quite do it all alone.

Which made it extremely prosperous. Swiss should keep up the good fight.

​@@KathyClysm I wouldnt be too sure about that. If the EU doesnt want to have us as an independent ally ( not on the military side ) wich lifes to its own rules ( if needed ) then im pretty sure the swiss would go to the last. If we would have to accept EU laws and getting sanctions for not doing so we would probably go as far as loosing our belateral agreements just to have our own rules and laws. We love europe and know its very important for us but nothing is more important for a swiss then hes freedome. I bet we would go the hard way and try to make new deals ( or loose all ) with each state or someone else just to have our own rules and laws ( if needed. most stuff of the eu we accept without problems but we want to be able to say NO and if the EU wants to take that away from us then we are gone :P )

From Switzerland: Independence and neutrality are actually right wing talking points. They mean: no immigrants, no solidarity with the world. The rest knows it's only a myth. 60% of our country is ice and rocks... we could not even feed ourselves. And we wouldn't have this standard of living if we didn't help exploit other countries. Cocoa doesn't grow in our climate and imagine how much chocolate would cost if we paid fair prices to cocoa farmers...m And there are the criminal banks. But they are not what makes us rich. Private banks are international institutions who pay not their fair share of taxes. Banks do not make a country rich. They make rich people richer.

Even a video on the relationship between the European Union and the African Union could be interesting

Couldn't agree more. And I really hope that people are aware of what's at stake when they're going to vote this month

Sure. Both have their advantages. Most of all, however, I'd like the EU to become more Scandinavian.

Yes - more direct democracy in the EU and a higher sense of an European identity in the Swiss. Actually makes a ton of sense :)

I'm actually not that keen on direct democracy as it has a bit of a flaw in it. In many situations where you need laws, not that many are interested as it gets more and more smaller bits and pieces. In large matters people tend to entrench into their views that reality doesn't need to have a say in the matter. Also there are people who are interested mainly in subject X and would get into anything relevant to X while most would just ignore it meaning that the group has more say in X than it normally would. Representations point is that it is their job (and thus have more time) to get into the subjects more to have sensible view of it. Of course they being people too are just as easily swayed into those trenches so ... It is a complicated matter and it's not like politicians make it any easier either.

@@henafoo 100% agreed! People romanticize direct democracy and don't want to see potential flaws.👍

How would EU become more Swiss? Would it be the same thing as being more like the "frugal four" (Austria, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden)?

There actually is a Norm how the Swiss Flag has to be proportioned in the normal Rectangular Format of most other Flags. Square Flags aren't allowed sometimes; e.g. do the Swiss Ships fly that rectangular Flags at Sea (Inland Shipping on the Lakes, Rivers and Canals allows square Flags)

It would be interesting to know if there is an international standard for flag size ratios, because I’d assume that even countries with what we might call rectangle flags, probably don’t all have the same width to heigh ratio. In this case I suspect it was a design choice so every flag looked the same shape, to go along with the more minimalist look of TLDR’s content.

@@AaronMcHale yes you are correct. flags are standardised for certain events. The Olympics use 3:5 and the UN and EU use 2:3. 2:3 is the most common format (like France and Italy) but some are 3:5 (Germany and Trinidad) and 1:2 (UK and many former USSR states). Some countries like the US or Denmark have very odd proportions. Most flags you buy on the consumer market are 3:5, usually 3' x 5' in North America.

Trump: *Chãýýnà*

That one is important!

Though personally in favour of integrating the Balkan nations into the EU, I currently think it's a political mistake. However I would like to see a good video on the pro and cons. Would be an interesting video.

Eric van Wickern Non of the Balkan countries would be net contributors. Could we afford their integration at the moment?

@@Gabbertje-od7ms yes... You get cheap labour and resources in exchange

Brother! I just wrote a comment about EU + Balkans relationship! Very interesting i think, more so than swiss or norway.

Money isn't the issue. Of course they'll cost money like with Italy or Poland, but I think these Balkan nations have bigger issues. The EU is a peace project, but as long as there are ethnic Albanians and Serbs claiming eachother's territory, peace is very unstable in that region.

I'm with you on that one, the EU-Turkey relation would be intresting to see.

Isn't Turkey a contender for an EU member?

@@TheRealHelvetica They are but with the lack of reforms in the country and with the current government in power, it's unlikely that Turkey will join the EU any time soon and in all honesty, Turkey seems to be moving in the opposite direction on that. I can't see any of that getting back on track until a new government is in power in Turkey.

@@TheRealHelvetica turkey, as a country threatening an eu members with war and violating greek and cyprus economical zones, there is currently no chance for any step to become an eu member.

Yeah turkey is in a weird spot by being in the custom's union but not the single market !

@Taiwanlight It would not be a problem if the EU is democracy.

@Taiwanlight There is no vote for individual laws. This is what democracy is: The population has the last word. Here we can make a initiative or a referendum (in case a new law is proposed which we do not like) and after that people vote to accept a new law or not. Selecting a group, that selects some people, that then select some other people that make new laws, which you have no control over, is not really a democracy if you ask me.

This is not bad news for us. We don't care if you want to join the EU. If you want to join, then you are welcome, otherwise stay out. It is your choice. We sell you more than you sell us, so we are earning money out of the current trade situation. This is fine. Just keep it as it is. Nobody forces you to join, and "Brussels" has no say in this. If you want to join the EU, you first need the permission of your own people via a referendum, and then you need the permission of every single EU member state. If any one of them refuses, you stay out. "Brussels" has no say in this. This principle is clearly not really well understood by you. This is a big problem with many people around Europe, who think they are being ruled by "the EU". This is nonsense, as "the EU" cannot make any decisions. All decisions are made by the (democratically elected) EU parliament and the 27 individual governments, who make up the Council. That's it. Without the support of Council and parliament, NOTHING CHANGES. How you organise your own country, with whatever democratic system, is up to you. The EU does not force any member to change its political system and way of making decisions nationally.

I agree. But many Adults here in Switzerland wish to join the EU. Everytime i hear someone say "we should join the EU" im shockd. Do theese people not see whats wrong with the EU system?.

Mario G90 I know right, I mean I can see why it’s difficult for Switzerland to ignore it as it’s literally surrounded by the EU, but the Swiss have one of the most prosperous nations in the world a bit like Norway in a way, because they have more control. The systems in side the will only hurt Switzerland because if you’re rich and not Germany you get the shit that the UK had.

@@garrenwright256 Switzerland’s politics and stability depends on the Eu 😂.

Well. no folding happened, so things can go smoothly.

They always have to correct that Switzerland has no president.😉

@@Leenapanther it is quite an important idea that we would like to export to other countries.

@My Channel nope

Aproval in the french speaking cantons was very high, but most german speaking cantons and ticino were aginst joinging the EEA.

@@Reluk5 as someone from ticino i say drop the bilaterals, schengen and the whole thing, im only in favour of the european court of human rights.

@@idkimlikereallybored9533 As someone from a Zürich rural area i agree with you agree and while we're at it we can sell of the French speaking part to the EU as they want to be rather in the EU than in Switzerland. And let's also get rid of the european court of human rights, the concept i guess but in practice it's being used as political tool to prevent deportation and stuff.

If you can’t choose, take the Italian version

@@marcmarc8524 the italian version is always NO to anything EU related 🤣

The EU is not democratic enough for Switzerland. Yes there are things like cell phone romaning, but i do not think that this is worth losing democracy. I do not want to buy at Amazon, Amazon is not very employee friendly to say the least despite having the richest CEO. Amazon is ruthless and i do not want to support it. I am happy that they do not sell here. I think you can avoid most transactions costs when you know how.

But once again: you gonna stay for monney and then back home .

Brexiteers are the biggest hypocrites going. They whinge about the EU being undemocratic but support blocking a vote to allow Scotland to leave the UK.

@@anpratadraiochtuil5293 They already had a referendum. We aren't like Ireland where we force the issue until we get the result wanted

@@shadowdugify Brexit changes the situation significantly. Most Scots voted to stay with the understanding that they would remain in the EU. A referendum now would take place in a much different context than before.

@@shadowdugify How about a Scottish vote for EU membership then?

@@chardonnay5767 You had a vote

You swiss might change your mind when EU cuts all ties with you since you need EU more than EU needs Switzerland

@@tsenavi ah yes because threatening someone is a very good argument to get someone to join you great fucking thinking there buddy-o

I'm pretty sure we as a population don't want that. But only the party called SVP has been against it the entire time. All the other parties try to enter the EU more or less often.

How many EU nationals can afford to live in Switzerland? It is cheaper to live in London or Paris.

@@briangasser973 Well actually many EU nationals come to Switzerland because they simply get paid more than in their home country. Once they live here they can afford a living with their new wages

​@@briangasser973 in Switzerland, you can make shit heaps of money

CHF was tied to the EUR for a while but is not now. It is a serious problem as CHF is a safe haven currency and when too many people buy it, it becomes too expensive for the economy. It's value does not reflect the economic worth of the country anymore. So even in the 1970's (as far as I remember) you can have negative interest rates in CHF to discourage people buying it.

"The fact of the matter is that Switzerland does pay a lot of money to the EU, has to ratify all EU rules to not drop out of the single market and has" Switzerland does not pay into the EU. It pays a contribution to the new eu member states of the eastern enlargement of 1.3 billion over 10 years for access to the internal market and for projects that we can determine yourself. When this decision was made at the time, it was called blackmail by the EU in the Swiss political landscape. and we also do not automatically adopt EU laws. They are always discussed first and if they do not conflict with Swiss law, then the EU rules are adopted where it makes sense to secure trade. e.g. EU weapons law first had to survive a vote, or internet law (article 14.16) was not adopted

@@p.c.k.m.h690 It should be noted that all EU members have to do whatever their democratic process demands to enact new EU laws. So for the UK that meant a vote in Parliament.

@@stephenconway2468 yes That is true, but if an EU country rejects a legal reform, the EU has the right to initiate "compensatory measures". so punish them for it. or you will vote until the result suits your interests. (ireland)

@@p.c.k.m.h690 To be fair, it never or very rarely gets to that stage. Few EU laws are put forward that don't have full agreement at the European Council level. If a country for national politics reasons needs to make some noise, then there is often space to do that. Likewise, at the European Parliament level, soundings are taken and committees are checked beforehand. The EU Commission is charged with checking that it does not contradict treaties and EU law. Then parties like the Swiss ambassador also have informal input should an issue be tricky to sell back home. It can happen, it has happened.... but it is rare. Of all the UK's laws only about 0.03% were actually voted against at the council level. This was mainly for local politics. That does not include the number of times when British politicians in the European Parliament still supported the law.

I don't see how EU is undermining Swiss direct democracy. You're not giving the proper explanation.

@@stef1896 The EU is not a very democratic construct to begin with. The whole construct is as indirect as a thing that calls itself democratic can be. I'm not against the EU - but I can understand why the Swiss won't join. Their system is completely contrary. For all the good and bad that comes with that - it just doesn't match.

@@Maeniel83 You just said a well known, generic cliché, but you are not saying which rules would make Swiss less democratic. EU doesn't forbid referendums, nor direct democracy. Political system is exclusively on members itself. EU didn't even interfere in UK's electoral system based on bizarre First-past-the-post system. Personally, I don't think any country should be a member without a proportional representation, but EU itself doesn't object even to the First-past-the-post.

Thanks, so well put. I couldn't have said it better. Liebi grüess us em Aargau ;)

@@stef1896 It's not about how we elect our representatives or conduct politics in Switzerland. It's about the fact that the public can potentially veto every law in Switzerland, this is not provided in the EU. We would have to adhere to laws that we are not able to stop. Plus the fact that the decision making process in the EU is very indirect, meaning a lot of important decisions are taken/shaped by representatives of the executive (conferences of prime ministers or EU counsel) and not by directly elected officials (the EU parliament) or the electorate. This is a very big difference in philosophy the Swiss aren't willing to change on.

Alex Dakin this will never get accepted. Its already unacceptable what these shitheads are proposing. so far from reality and sense.

and if all other agreements fall through, then the Swiss (and I'm one too, French-Swiss) will have to realize how much of their economy depended on those... kinda remind me of something on the other side of a Channel... but at least in Switzerland, many peoples are aware of that and are warning against it... will see what the votation result in...

@TheFranksConqueredEurope cry more

@TheFranksConqueredEurope 👍

@TheFranksConqueredEurope 🤦🏻‍♂️

This will fail, as it is bad for both sides. The two things are not really comparable. The Swiss just do not want to be forced or blackmailed under EC laws and courts, giving up direct democracy. This frame contract would be the end of the Switzerland we know. Won't happen.

👍🏾

Mach dich ned lächerlich

Hi could we talk?

Apparently you have no clue how the EU works. 1) MEP's in the EU parliament are not more or less accountable than any other MP's in any parliament. They represent their country and are supposed to protect the interests of that country. Of something is bad for Belgium, then you can be pretty sure that Belgian MEP's will vote against it. 2) I have no idea what you're trying to say here. 3 and 4) Yes, things that are agreed on an EU level are supposed to be about the bigger picture. That's the whole point. The EU is about cooperation between countries in a uniform way, and about our position in the rest of the world, against important economies like the US, China, Japan, etc. Without the EU, every country would just do something on their own. Our power would be greatly diminished internationally. It should be clear that the existence of the EU has greatly increased our quality of life. Many hazardous substances are now removed from many products or food, not only in the EU, but sometimes also globally, because manufacturers really want to keep selling their stuff to us so they desperately want to have the CE mark on their products. Just look at what chemicals are allowed in US food and how these are banned in the EU. This directly benefits the people, while costs for big business go up. This would never have happened when each country was still on its own. Or look at how charging cables for phones will be standardised in the EU (which means Apple is not happy), and which will probably be adopted in the rest of the world. Also, don't forget that "the EU" doesn't actually make any decisions. The EU commission is like a civil service. They only enforce laws and agreements. The actual decisions are taken by EU parliament and the Council. Many of these decisions also require unanimity, so if Malta doesn't like a certain change, they can block it. The EU does NOT impose laws upon member states. This is an essential aspect of how the EU works. The downside is that "the EU" can also not make quick decisions in a crisis. People who point this out as being a bad aspect of the EU, forget that they are in fact advocating for MORE integration, which means giving the EU level more control and take it away from the member states. In short: Switzerland already follows MANY EU laws and regulations. Not because it is mandatory, but because your companies choose to do so. However, the Swiss people don't have any influence on those laws and regulations. You just have to follow what the 27 EU members decide for you. As an EU member, Switzerland would have MORE influence in Europe, compared to now. If Switzerland wants to remain neutral, then that's fine by me and your own choice, but I don't see any reason to be so afraid. The EU is 27 countries agreeing to adopt new common laws, which makes things better/easier for those countries. If those laws would make things better, they wouldn't vote for it, would they?? Besides, if you don't like where the EU is going in the future, you always have the option of leaving. The EU is not a prison.

@@janickpauwels3792 Leaving the EU isn't that easy, and for a small country practically impossible. It's perfectly understandable why a small country would be afraid, particularly when it has a tradition of direct democracy. It's fine when you have a left of centre consensus you agree with. France and Germany remain hugely influential. If more Le Pen, Farage, Orban types come to power that can change. The EU is by and large a good thing, but it needs to be more open to divergence.

They voted with around 65% to remain in scenghen... I guess you’re wrong!

If you're gonna dream you better dream big: the EU as the world's Scandinavia.

@@hannahg8439 hey buddy, we winter olympic nations should stand together! but our political system is better! see you at the next ski race!

Th EU being the largest fiscal paradise in the world, a man can dream 😂 (I'm Swiss by the way and I defenetly agree on the democratic side)

Fully agree there, More Democratic reforms need to be done on the EU, I still do belive in the EU and its ideas, Politcs and the power it brings to those in the EU but there is flaws in the EU that do need to be reformed, Mostly when it comes to Electing Officals.

@@snickims9717 I could not possibly agree more with your comment.

It’s a really interesting perspective. The EU walks a delicate line of trying to respect countries sovereignty vs being more democratic. The power direct democracy injected into the EU, along with the power that entails, the less sovereignty a nation holds and vice versa. Some countries are more kean for one way or the other and, as with a lot of things humans do, is a compromise which takes on the worst bits of both worlds.

I love how you guys handle democracy! I'm from South Tyrol and it would be so great if we could become a part of Switzerland even though I know that's nearly impossible

Mountain people, be they Swizz or Norwegian or on another continent entirely has *never* been keen on external control in local matters. And trying to "tighten the thumbscrews" is a bad idea. Perhaps Norway should "tighten the thumbscrews" and add further taxes on gas companies selling natural gas to the EU. Actual export taxes is probably covered by the EEA agreements, but we're free to set whatever tax levels on *total* income that we please. And we wish to transition towards a greener future anyway. The EEA members outside the EU does *not* want to join, don't try to force us.

Because, as we all know: A) the Brexit negotiations and subsequent FTAs that were organised by Westminster were a roaring success and are in stark contrast to how things run in the EU B) the people voted concisely to leave the EU in the strictest form possible and no non-democratic influences were at play, unlike, say the Treaty of Lisbon which was reshaped to fit the Irish electorate's wishes C) countries in the EU cannot request to leave unlike in the UK where countries are free to leave without permission from a party voted in largely by an entirely differently country D) The Upper House of the UK is entirely appointed by elected officials and in no way do the clergy nor the landed gentry have any tangible influence in UK political discourse unlike the European Commission The UK is indeed a beacon of democracy in a heavily autocratic Europe. I look forward to how Westminster will treat us in the periphery of the country with respect in the future, as they have always done in the past, and I cannot wait to appreciate the continued closeness of our fair "United" Kingdom.

​@@anpratadraiochtuil5293 Careful. Not everyone will get the sarcasm. This is the Internet, after all! 😉

Probably not, but that participation would become as issue as - to roughly say it - If referendum decides something Government is obligated to implement it - including withdrawal from international treaty... The power of citizen vote trumps everything else. EU legal system does not accept that.

You know that it's the countries who run the shots in the EU?

Yes the reason is; the Industrialists want to study corruption with the most corrupt of the corrupt ... Switzerland. Once you have recognized it, you can only be ashamed of our dirty country Switzerland. Es ischbecht zum chotze.

@@dasklima5751 Oh Boy! Another deeply brainwashed lefties!!! Please don't forget your pills, will you?

@@loremipsum99 Switzerland made lots of money with slavery, with the nazis, and is home to FIFA and Nestle. Prosecutors involved in corruption, the dirty and racist SVP, dictators have a free pass, money from corrupt politicians of all countries hidden in swiss banks... and they are proud of it.

@@nacachola1 Another heavily indoctrinated lefty, BLM, ANTIFA, marxist, socialist, communist, progressist etc i.e.= today's fascists, who knows shit about whatever he is talking about. LOL Slavery? LOL! Nazis? Many made money with the nazis during that time. FIFA and Nestle are two international organisations, and like many in Switzerland, have not much to do with Switzerland ie the country. Please educate yourself and learn how to make the difference between a country, its citizens and international organisations or headquarters based in a particular country = The city of Bruxelles is not the EU. FIFA is highly corrupt as so many other sports. The SVP party is an ultra liberal party, they are not socialists (like Hitler or the fascists of last century). The SVP party is pro direct democracy as opposed to the centralisation of power true marxist, socialist, communist dictators crave. SVP = Liberty. Oh and by the way, immigration is human trade. So you defend immigration, you support slavery. Today the reds are the problem like they have always been, they are the true fascists, the international socialists are the new nazis. And clearly .... you are one of their useful idiots!!!! Now watch all the left ideologies being kicked out of the way .... Good luck!!

@ashley that is true. Germany is one of the richest nations on earth still it's not really comparable. But based on my work experience with German business partners and co-workers it's not because of the people but rather their bad luck in history and stupid politicians burning money by ordering from companies who offer them the best paid girls and champagne rather than the most cost-effective solution to the actual task at hand.

You saw the video. You know how close Switzerland is to the EU. So how can you write such nonsense?

@@dohlecarnett1866 Because I actually do live there. And I've crossed the border to Germany at least a hundred times. I guess you have never lived anywhere close to Switzerland, right? I mean go to Waldshut, that is just after the border in Germany and tell me which other town the same size has so many stores that are just full and running that well. They're almost exclusively operating for the Swiss for sure most would go out of business without. It's just an example which shows that there is a huge difference in spending power and economic performance. That is not to say that the EU isn't helping to make Switzerland that rich, they are.

@@gentuxable My point was that you, similiar to Brexiteers, make it out to be that economies in the 21st century are NOT intertwined which each other and can easily untangle their relationships and keep going on as everything is normal. Switzerland has made a lot of his wealth specifically because of that constellation. Imagine Switzland had no deals with the EU at all, do you really think it would be where it is now? So to say it would be better off without the EU is simply nonsense. Wait till January. If you are lucky, you'll have a superb proof for that.

@@dohlecarnett1866 Ok point taken but I when I said "without the EU" I assumed that everybody understands it like "without being part of the EU" this would have been more correct. And I agree that "without any contract with the EU" is going to be a very different story as you may have seen in my reply. But being actual EU member would also be a bad outcome because Switzerland has many advantages in being disconnected. That's how I meant it.

Yeah, the Bilaterale are all way too popular and we overwhelmingly supported them so far. I see no way the Kündigungsinitiative would actually pass. It's just our equivalent to the US Republican Party trying to score political points in an attempt to cater to the xenophobic part of their basis.

The problem is that by joining the EU swiss representatives would gain a lot of power, while the direct democracy would become even more reactive. So yeah swiss representatives would gain tons and tons of power, while the public would lose it

@@toffeeFairy Why would the public loose? Every country has to approve almost every deal the EU makes, so just make it that every approval has to be done by referendum, how would the public loose power in that sense?

​@@tobiasL1991 Well if they EU would infact play along with that, which would take at least an additional 6 months, direct democracy is slow. Also there're several EU laws, that conflict with current swiss laws or make them null if applied, which would rule those things out of control of the direct system. I have to state to that switzerland is as close to the EUas possible, without being in it.

given Switzerland don't spit on particular part of the agreements (Schengen), there will be no change neither for integration nor for "independence"... but, the EU already warned that being part of Schengen was linked to all the other agreements and, Switzerland has a lot to lose if they're not part of those anymore... but then, it's the citizen that will decide and for once, I will surely cast my ballot, it's way too important...

@@kolerick please correct some of your spelling its actually hard to understand what your point of is

Honestly I don't know why people think that switzerland has a complicated system. As a swiss I think it's pretty straight forward. It is very different from other countries which don't have direct democracy maybe that's why people think it's complicated because they can't imagen such a system. I don't think switzerland is bureaucratic, at least not more then the neighbouring countries. The Federal Goverment is actually really small compared to countries like france, and that's by design because the system is designed in a decentralized way. According to the World Economic Forum switzerland is #9 in the world in terms of goverment efficiency. I don't think we can adapt to the European political system since it would limit our right in certain ways how we handle direct demoracies. The result of that would be that the swiss would probably leave the moment the EU would deny them the right to vote about something. The Europeans have a history of monarchies, fascism , and communism. Now they have a stable representive democracy. They never had or allowed a direct democratic system and don't understand why it is important to us to vote about thing and that power has to be implemented from the bottom up and not from the politicians down.

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You are contradicting yourself...you say you're pro-EU and then you equate being in EU to being a slave to Brussels ("losing their independence").... so you are basically pro-Slavery..

No hand-waiving please.. what 'independence'?

@@ameyas7726 it's not contradiction. EU is great but it has its negative sides too, like the Swiss. Switzerland already benefits from the positive sides (trade), joining will just mean adding the negatives rather than having extra positives. Fuck off with this "slave to Brussels" shit. EU saved this continent from wars to prosperity. If you disagree, ok but go spill your brexiteer garbage in someone else's comment. I'm a pro EU but some things are better left as they are..instead forcing to get the Swiss to join.

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"There will be no EU"... HA... HA... HA... The EU is now stronger than ever after brexit, while the UK has problems filling supermarket shelves and gas stations. It is crisis after crisis in the UK, just 9 months after leaving the EU. I think it is clear that the UK greatly underestimated how dependent they actually were on the EU.

@testtestt-ny8pn that's maybe true. At least you have much better food than we have across the Rösti Graben.

Depending on the vote there is a double majority And it's also the result of thoses who voted yes or no not counting blanks nulled or none voters

weirdly people think that things functioning within tiny populations ... switzerland has less people than paris ... would function on continents **rolleyes**

what the flying fuck ... I take your point, however you must remember two things: one is that technology makes some things possible, at a large scale, in 2020 that were not even conceivable when our political systems were designed. Second, a lot of the good things I see in SW stem from education and upbringing and that is one of the major faults in many EU countries, my own included, and it is something where population size is irrelevant

@@CarlosKTCosta so long the EU follows the illegitimate Forms of democracy, in some cases not even the hollow forms , so long there is no point for us Swiss to further integrate .

niet Name I can perfectly see how the Swiss feel that way, I might think the same way if I was Swiss

politicians, not all, but the profession as a whole are professional deal-makers and professional liars. their pockets and minds of those are filled by the powerful behind them, whoever that is in your culture. you can be under the, openly disputed or not, impression to be in a democracy and still have no power. just because "the politicians" are rolling off decisions like: • should we build a mosque here OR • should this trash yard be build next to the kindergarden onto the public does not mean there is any major difference in the distribution of power. the swiss system is nothing I envy. the swiss culture is not a role model all parents of europe would want to raise their kids after.

So we can say no and say it just this time, but everyone knows that nowadays Swiss people would vote in a majority no to enter the EU, too much hassle when we have bilaterals

Because they're so much more wealthy.

Some things are really artificial my my book, like the difference for cosmetics, costing about 3x more in Switzerland than in Germany. It probably comes down to higher income and lower taxes.

Whe it comes to higher costs for goods, possible reasons are that we still have border customs and quotas. And also that the swiss currency is gone up in value. It’s expensive to buy francs for about everybody. For services and anything that contains “swiss labor” the reason is that Swiss wages are high and our infrastructure is valuable.

Switzerland is in a different custom’s zone, you can’t freely import and export from neighbouring countries as you like. Since it is a smaller market this means higher prices. Britain will soon be in a similar situation though less pronounced since it has a lower standard of living.

- People make more money. Someone in a shop or restaurant needs a higher wage and therefore prices are higher. The wage of a simple workers is way higher in Switzerland than Germany. - Animal welfare: When you want to buy products from animals, like dairy, you pay more because Switzerland has higher animal welfare standards. The standards in the EU are very bad, they are also bad in Switzerland but way less. - There are things that are cheaper. I pay less for electronics than i would in Germany.

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have you followed the relationship between the eu and switzerland? what do you think of the current negotiations?

@@p.c.k.m.h690 I did a paper on this when I was in the university several years ago. I think he concluded this well not been looking into the current. So what are your opinion about the current negotiations?

@@larstenfaelt1859 in short, for me the EU is not a democratic entity. and the framework agreement must be rejected. It's tough because the CH is currently closely linked to the EU. but the contract is hard to beat when it comes to disrespect. The EU would like us to automatically adopt EU laws, and would like the ECJ to be the last instance in the event of a dispute. what we don't want to accept, obviously. then they want to soften our employee protection, because we still have the highest average wages in europe and our unions are going crazy. so in summary, not much

@@p.c.k.m.h690 Thanks for the update. I saw that on the video and I have heard a little about it. EU is a democratic organisation for its members but it's not this direct democratic way that you do it, it's a representative democracy. I have been quite a lot in Switzerland and has lots of friends there. Yes, I know about your higher wages and long traditions for workers right. I'm from Sweden and have a similar situation but as we are members we are part of the process defining this. So I see the problem when you are a non member but still want access to the single market. I have been working for years in the UK and seen the total crash between the old imperial mindset that some have and that the reality is different. The Tories have built up a rhetoric from thatchers time that Brussels dictates everything. In reality it's presently mainly related to the common market (where workers rights are included) and environment. They have huge problems when they really don't know what standards they want...only that they don't want them set by Brussel. So they will have hard time to trade if they don't get their act together. I think it's the same with CH that you need to know exactly what you want but also see how this fits into the bigger picture. Thanks again for enlighten me and I will follow this.

SwissGunGuy isch doch mau ä Name. Enlighten us then. Why is Switzerland so rich? Is it because we were one of the first nations to industrialize and our subsequent specialization in precision parts like clocks thanks to french immigrants? Is it the jewish gold we never gave back? Is it because of the capital provided by the Marshall Plan? Is it because of the billions of free labor provided by our state sponsored child slavery? (Verdingchinder~) Is it due to the further billions worth of cheap labor provided by immigrants from southern europe? What made Switzerland the great nation it is today?

@@LeCheckmate *Is it because we were one of the first nations to industrialize and our subsequent specialization in precision parts like clocks thanks to french immigrants?* The first nation to industrialize was the UK, ever heard of the steam machine? No not swiss, in the late 18th century switzerland was dirt poor and the hugenots which you are refering were not the cause for the wealth generation in switzerland. The swiss were compared to the other european nations very late in the industrialization phase. *Is it the jewish gold we never gave back?* Read the Washington Agreement from 1946 and the lawsuit settlement in 1997 between jewish organisations and swiss goverment as well as national bank and major banks in switzerland. All in all the swiss have paid all jewish assets back plus a big sorry Bonus around 3 Billion CHF *Is it because of the capital provided by the Marshall Plan?* Yes, but again the swiss paid through the Washington Agreement around 250 Million US$ (Not accounted for Inflation) to the USA. It's like I give you 100 USD and you give me back 1USD should I go on my knees and thank you for that...I wouldn't. Besides that switzerland already almost got nothing from the Marshall Plan...As far as I know. *Is it because of the billions of free labor provided by our state sponsored child slavery? (Verdingchinder~)* No, and thats why the swiss goverement paid reperations. I think you use the word slavery as a Buzz word, they were certainly not slaves but were treated in alot of cases really bad. But please you should see a difference between slavery and the Verdingkinder. Not the same.Both horrible things but really not the same situation. *Is it due to the further billions worth of cheap labor provided by immigrants from southern europe?* So...What? People from south europe mainly Italy made good money by working in switzerland, and the swiss needed labour force. They've contributed to the growth but were not the main factor for the growth in Switzerland. Sorry. And after all that Bullshit what is the real reason why switzerland is wealthy? Stability. plain and simple. If you invest in switzerland you can be assured that the goverement is stable and banks/institutions/fiscal polocies are stable. Investors like that, combined with a well educated population, low hurdles for business and high innovation you pretty much get what you see in switzerland. The Myth that switzerland is rich because of it's banks or immigration is part of the truth, the main reason is the stable goverment. Yes switzerland has been greatly profited from foreigner but not mainly as labour but as inverstors. Cheers

Slithermotion thanks, saved me a great deal of keyboarding on my phone :-). What can I say, having lived in Italy and the UK as well as worked across multiple other EU countries I can only confirm that. Swiss governance is stable, this is significantly influenced by the institutional setup which does not allow for overnight u turns and funky stuff by our government. Everything is debated and voted on. That’s why are able to keep what works and avoid jumping on whatever trends are part of the current zeitgeist (EU). stark contrast to the rest of the world pretty much. And yeah, if i had gotten 1$ for every jewish gold quite I’d be chilling in the Caribbean.

Well - no

Lol what a bollocks logic, Swiss success and EU success is not mutually exclusive, they are both succeed, Luxembourg is richer than Switzerland and they are EU Inner Six, so your argument?

No way a video on how old farts took an easy way out of the last jobs they would ever have with pensions kangaroo county

I love how everyone wants everything to be diverse and the way they try to achieve it is by mixing everything until nothing is left anymore.

Well following the lead of the stronger isn't that normal? In Kalmar Union your lords liked a danish queen, still sweden kept being swedish in its heart When danish king Christian IV ruled you got scania (skåne), they still are scanians Under Louis XIV the swedish got a lot of inspiration, like every other western european country under Napoleon you got a new royal house, still swedes are swedish After WW2 the strong power is the USA, so a lot of things got americanized, like soft drinks (coca cola etc), fast food(MacDonalds etc), Jeans in 1950s and onwards immigrants came and so did rice, pizza, kebab etc So yes sweden year 1020, 1520 and 2020 are very different societies. Nothing is stable, still swedish people are swedish people with their culture. In 2520 even if there is no sweden as country I still think there will be swedes being swedes. Just in another form then what we know today

@@Dovndyr13 You are right. But people have a memory span of a generation. That's around 25 years. And what people also do is relativating the patriotism of their "enemies" while being patriotic themselves. Obviously it is not as obvious but it still is here. The same people that say: "What is swedish" also defend globalism and are highly offended at everything negative about Karl Marx. My thoughts on this topic can be summarized in three points. - Either care about identity or don't, but don't say one form of patriotism is meaningless while holding to pretty much the same patriotism. And don't say, white countries have no culture but black do. I call that hypocrite. - Questioning people on their patriotism is a pretty strong weapon against western countries. There are people fully aware of that and use it especially because of that. Not because they actually believe what they are saying. - I prefer peaceful and not oppressing countries. And a flood of foreign people with a culture conflict will definitely cause unrest. And replacing a population is just another form of imperialism. Which I don't like. Since I don't know who you are, this comment is not meant as an attack on you. More an argument against the opinion of certain people I came across. You might hold completely different views.

@@Dovndyr13 I think this is different. Cultural exchanges are much more rapid. The world is smaller in a lot of ways. If I was a farmer in Sweden in the 1600s there's little chance that any action from France would change me culturally. Exception being an invasion and some sort of forced cultural conversion. It doesn't happen in my lifetime. And sure you'll see it happen on longer timescales. But that's inherently different to what I'm thinking of. We all have a lot of homogeneity now. That's the problem. Not the gradual change in customs on a local level. That's the main thing I think of preserving. But even the more practical matters like government structure shouldn't be motivated by convergence as a goal. It's extremely clear for me right now with the pandemic. The fact that there's countries where politicians are the ones that people look to when dealing with this pandemic scares me. I'm much happier to leave recommendations with the public health agency without any direct political involvement. Because they know what to do and what's proven to have good effect. They also don't just look to the virus like a politician seeking reelection might. Other countries also seem to coarse for me, but maybe that's because I look at global news and nobody talks about what a powers an individual US county has in dealing with the pandemic. Here our municipal governments have most of that power. That's not to say our system is the best or that it's something others should adopt. Other countries have different circumstances and people rarely account for that. Like when Americans look to Europe as a model for a health system and then places like New York that'd be all over that in a popular vote oppose things like sugar tax. They don't get it, these are hard problems.

Simos Katsiaris. I’m Scottish , and proud of being both Scottish and British. You misunderstood the situation if you think the UK unions’ end is coming. You europeans stick to your own affairs and stop involving yourselves in matters which don’t concern you.

@@chrisj9700 you read the internal market bill?

@@Thomas_Wedderburn Yep. Likewise the UK peoples stop say the EU is finished and get the hell out.

Rocco Grande gladly

And don't forget Andorra too