Support for a bilateral trajectory with the EU is growing

According to a survey, the Swiss population is more positive about the bilateral agreements with the European Union (EU) than last year. A majority of 59 percent mainly saw advantages in the bilateral road.

This is evident from the annual survey of the research institute Gfs Bern, the results of which were made available to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday and about which the NZZ am Sonntag also reported.

The proportion of people who have a positive view of the bilateral agreements has increased by six percentage points compared to last year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has boosted the EU’s popularity among the Swiss, the study’s commissioner, Interpharma, said on Sunday.

In addition, about a quarter (23 percent) of those surveyed saw both advantages and disadvantages of the bilateral agreements. Twelve percent of the respondents see more or only disadvantages.

Party sympathy and level of education are decisive

The main distinguishing feature in the assessment of the bilateral agreements was partisan sympathy. Almost three-quarters of all SP supporters surveyed mainly see benefits in the agreements with the EU. Compared to the same survey from 2022, this represented an increase of 19 percentage points, according to the study.

The assessment of the Mitte supporters and that of the FDP supporters also developed positively compared to last year. There were fewer shifts among GLP and Green supporters, among SVP sympathizers and voters without clear party sympathy.

According to Gfs Bern, there were equally strong differences between the educational levels. Three-quarters of people with tertiary qualifications rated the bilateral agreements as beneficial. This share was also below 50 percent in secondary education.

There were also differences between the language areas. In German-speaking Switzerland, 62 percent of those surveyed viewed the bilateral agreements as beneficial, representing an increase of ten percentage points over the previous year and a new high.

Meanwhile, in French-speaking and Italian-speaking Switzerland, the share of those who viewed the bilateral agreements mainly as favorable has fallen. In French-speaking Switzerland it was just over half of those surveyed in 2023, and 40 percent in Italian-speaking Switzerland.

The respondents expect a proposal from the Bundesrat

According to the majority of respondents who were open to compromise with the EU, bilateral agreements should not be jeopardised. These people expect a concrete proposal from the Swiss state government on how the contracts with the EU can be further developed, as the Gfs Bern announced.

As in previous years, access to the export market, the need for skilled labor from abroad, access to educational programs and the ability to live, study and work anywhere in the EU were also seen as benefits in 2023. At the same time, support also increased for arguments against the bilateral agreements, such as pressure on local wages and on rents and real estate prices due to immigration.

The research results of the “Switzerland location – European issues” project series are based on a survey of voters in Switzerland in 2015, as announced by Gfs Bern. The survey was conducted from early February to early March 2023. (cst/sda)