Swiss withdraw application to join the EU 1 week before the EU referendum

[BritBrit]

Swiss withdraw their EU application saying they won't be joining the EU & should be considered an independent nation, this comes after the Swiss people recently voted to stop EU free movment

www.express.co.uk/news/world/680342/Switzerland-withdraws-application-join-European-Union-Brexit-Britain-vote-EU

[YourPerception]

That must be a blow to the EU.

[SpringingIntoAction]

The Swiss are sending us a huge message - LEAVE.

Iceand formally withdrew it's EU application a while ago.

The rich northern European countries that have reatined their wn currencies can see the danger of being in the EU.

The only countries that want to join the EU are the poor countries - Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia. They want to join the EU because the want our UK tax payers £millions that we pay to the EU every week - money that could be much better spent here in the UK on our public services.

Let's take a lead from Swizterland and stay out of the EU

[Millyonthefloss2]

Yes please lets listen to Switzerland.

If we weren't already in the EU, would we want to join?

[Millyonthefloss2]

And just to prove that the Swiss withdrawing its EU application is not just one of those Express stories, here is another link:

www.rt.com/news/346884-switzerland-eu-membership-application-rejected/

[Millyonthefloss2]

www.thelocal.ch/20160302/switzerland-national-council-eu-application

[shinytorch2]

Listen to the Swiss....

[SoThisIsSummer]

The EU has not given them one inch on Immigration and its an issue that is causing the rise of the far right and is causing social issues but the EU will not negotiate with them.

Is it any wonder, they have withdrawn their application!

[A4Document]

Well done Switzerland, good move!

[strangehumour]

Well they obviously think being in the EU is not the best thing to do.

[SpringingIntoAction]

Europe is crying out for an alternative to the EU. The Swiss and Icelandics know that and will welcome our Brexit

[Spinflight]

The lower house voted 126 to 46 to withdraw the application.

The upper house voted 27 to 13.

Hannes Germann was quoted as saying,

"Iceland had the courage and withdrew the application for membership, so no volcano erupted,”

Also, "Only a few lunatics want to join the EU now".

[toomuchtooold]

You know this has no practical bearing whatsoever on Switzerland's relationship with the EU though, right? Switzerland's application for EU membership stalled in like 92 when the Swiss voted against EEA membership (50.3% to 49.7%, as my Swiss husband is currently loudly telling me). It's been sitting gathering dust since then. There might be some element of the Swiss giving the EU the two fingers, specially as the renegotiation of their treaties with the EU has been put on hold by the referendum and will probably be kicked into the long grass in the event of Brexit.