The SVP's isolation initiative will bring an end to the bilateral system

Switzerland’s bilateral agreements with the EU are essential for the agricultural economy and the Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Acceptance by the electorate of the SVP's "Against Mass Immigration" initiative would force Switzerland to withdraw from the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons. Neither Swissmem nor the Swiss Farmers Association believe that renegotiation would lead to a more favourable arrangement for Switzerland. Furthermore, as a result of the legal interlinking of all Bilateral I agreements (thanks to a "guillotine clause"), there is a very real risk that these agreements as a whole would collapse. Without the Bilateral I agreements, both industries would face the threat of a labour shortfall and a loss of competitiveness, which would inevitably be to the detriment of Switzerland's prosperity. The Swiss Farmers Association and Swissmem therefore reject this initiative vehemently.