Brussels, 05/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 4 May, President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter stated in an interview with NZZ am Sonntag and SonntagsZeitung that the Swiss people would probably be asked to vote in two years' time on the bilateral approach with the EU - on the basis of the negotiations started last week that are intended to renew the institutional architecture uniting the two parties.
“I think that we will vote in two years on the bilateral route with the EU”, said the president in office, stating that the “vote will take place if we manage to redefine the bilateral route with the EU and to create a solid basis”. These negotiations aim to modernise the future agreements on Switzerland's access to the European market. According to the president, a further vote would not challenge the “yes” given to the UDC's initiative against mass immigration, which was voted on 9 February and by which Swiss citizens have called for the reintroduction of quotas on foreign workers in three years. “I am only after the best solution for Switzerland - nothing more, nothing less”, said Burkhalter. “The will of the people must be made concrete - both for the initiative on immigration and for the bilateral route, already supported seven times” by the Swiss. EUROPE will return to this. (SP)