Swiss rejected the plan to protect sovereignty

On Sunday Swiss voters rejected a referendum proposal that would have asserted precedence for Swiss rules over international law, the national broadcaster SRF reported.

Two-thirds of voters said no to the so-called “Swiss-law first” initiative in a referendum that the country’s right-wing People’s Party (SVP) backed.

Had the initiative been successful, it would have put Switzerland at odds with the EU and the United Nations. Six U.N. agencies are based in Geneva, making the city the U.N.’s second-largest base.

The SVP had argued that the proposal would have strengthened the country’s national identity and Swiss autonomy.

“The result proves once again that while the SVP can score points with initiatives related to foreigners, it is less successful when it comes to questions of national politics,” Martina Mousson of pollsters gfs Bern told The Local.

The proposal upset almost the whole of the political spectrum and could have affected Swiss relations with the European Union and even the United Nations.

All the other big political parties in Switzerland, business leaders, and human rights groups conducted a very organised campaign of opposition to the sovereignty proposal.

The SVP argued the measure would have bolstered Switzerland’s autonomy and national identity.

A yes vote would have meant Switzerland having to renegotiate thousands of treaties, including texts on human rights, the rights of the child, or even on trade.

Sunday’s vote came ahead of a possible decision by Bern this week on whether to accept a Brussels plan for overhauling the web of bilateral deals regulating Swiss/EU relations. The plan would give the European Court of Justice a role in arbitrating disputes and possibly require Switzerland to loosen rules protecting the country’s high wages.

Sunday’s vote was “very positive” for the Bern government as the Swiss had clearly accepted the role of international courts, said Cenni Najy, senior policy fellow at the Swiss foreign policy forum Foraus. “It has defused the sovereignty point in the debate about EU relations.”

Failure by Bern to accept an “institutional framework” agreement could result in Brussels imposing economic penalties on Switzerland — including against the country’s stock exchange. The EU has pushed hard for a deal as it seeks to clarify relations with “third countries” ahead of the UK’s departure.

The SVP, which won almost 30 per cent of the vote in 2015’s national elections, is now likely to focus on campaigning against any new agreement with the EU — which is almost certain to be put to a future referendum.

In a separate referendum vote, Switzerland also rejected a bid to give farmers subsidies if they refuse to remove their cows’ horns.

Swiss voters defeated the cow horns’ vote with a majority of 54.7 percent, SRF reported, while 45.3 percent voted in favor of the subsidies initiative.

Under the Swiss system of direct democracy, a proposal needs 100,000 signatures before going to a referendum.