⁍ The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) had forced a referendum on the EU agreement in a bid to curb immigration.

---

⁍ The measure lost, as expected, by a 62%-38% margin.

---

⁍ ‘Today is a great day for the relations between the European Union and Switzerland,’ European Council President Charles Michel tweeted.

---

– Swiss voters have resoundingly rejected a right-wing party’s attempt to scrap a pact allowing the free movement of people from the European Union, Reuters reports. The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) had forced a referendum on the EU agreement in a bid to curb immigration to the country where foreigners make up a quarter of the population. The measure lost, as expected, by a 62%-38% margin. “The bilateral path is the right one for Switzerland and for the EU. The Swiss people have confirmed this path again today,” Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said. “Today is a great day for the relations between the European Union and Switzerland,” European Council President Charles Michel tweeted. “The Swiss people have spoken & sent a clear message: together we have a great future ahead of us.” The SVP—the biggest party in parliament—has long pushed to take back control of immigration, echoing some arguments pro-Brexit politicians used in the run-up to Britain’s exit from the EU. Opponents said the plan would have robbed business of skilled workers and torpedoed accords that enhance non-EU member Switzerland’s access to the crucial EU single market. Around two-thirds of the 2.1 million foreigners living in Switzerland in 2019 were citizens of the EU, as well as citizens of Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, which with Switzerland are members of the European Free Trade Association (A). More than 450,000 Swiss live in the EU. With questions open over state aid, rules to protect high Swiss wages, and access to welfare benefits, the Swiss have dragged their feet while trying to forge a domestic consensus.