Switzerland and the European Union. A Close, Contradictory and Misunderstood Relationship

Despite its geographical centrality and its considerable economic involvement in Europe, Switzerland remains unusual in that it is neither a member of the European Union or the European Economic Area. At a time when the Union is both expanding and seeking to develop its integration, the country constitutes a real anomaly amongst west European states.

This book demonstrates the range, depth and complexity of Switzerland’s developing relations with Europe and provides detailed and up-to-date information on Switzerland itself. Considering a variety of dimensions of the country and its ambiguous relations with the EU, the contributors, all of whom are leading specialists on Swiss-EU relations, explore:

- the classical political obstacles to entry: federalism, direct democracy, neutrality and the growing strength of anti-European populism

- policy barriers to integration: in trade and economics generally, in financial matters, and in social provisions relating to the movement of people

- the negotiation of the two sets of bilateral accords which presently structure Swiss relations with the Union

- the EU response and the prospects for future Swiss-EU relations.

Switzerland and the European Union will appeal to specialists on Switzerland, academics and students in politics and international relations, and practitioners in European integration and Swiss politics.

Contents:
1. Introduction
Clive H. Church

Part A: Political Problems
2. Federalism: Institutional Adaptation and Symbolic Constraints
Paolo Dardanelli

3. Direct Democracy and European Integration: A Limited Obstacle?
Alex Trechsel

4. Swiss Neutrality – An Obstacle on the Path towards the EU?
Daniele Ganser & Georg Kreis

5. Populism in Switzerland and the EU: From Vox Populi to Vox Mediae
Regula Stampfli

Part B: Economic and Social Difficulties
6. Swiss International Economic Relations: Assessing a Small and Open Economy
Rolf Weder

7. Sectors, Structures and Suspicions: Financial and other Aspects of Swiss Economic Relations with the EU
Clive H. Church with Christina Severin & Bettina Hurni

8. The (Contentious) Human Face of Europeanization: Free Movement and Immigration
Philippe Koch & Sandra Lavenex

Part C: The EU and International Contexts
9. The Wider Setting of Swiss Foreign Policy
Laurent Goetschel

10. Continuities Within Change: The Background of Swiss Relations with Europe
Clive H. Church

11. Back to the Future: The First Round of Bilateral Negotiations with the EU
Cedric Dupont & Pascal Sciarini

12. Bilaterals II: Reaching the Limits of the Swiss Third Way?
Alexandre Afonso & Martino Maggetti

13. Switzerland: Special Case or Scallywag? The View from the EU
Sieglinde Gstohl

14. Prospects
Yannis Pappadopolous