European Policy & Open Markets
A clear signal for the bilateral approach
14.06.2026
At a glance
- economiesuisse welcomes the rejection of the ‘10 million’ initiative. The ‘no’ vote shows that the electorate supports the bilateral approach.
- This also paves the way for further consultation on Bilaterals III. A recent survey shows that there is broad support for continuing the bilateral approach.
- At the same time, it is clear that the issue of immigration is of concern to the population. The people have shown politicians a yellow card. The right to asylum needs to be implemented consistently and better use made of the potential offered by the Swiss workforce.
The people have rejected the ‘10 million Switzerland’ initiative. The decision shows that voters do not want experiments. The electorate supports the bilateral approach with the European Union (EU).
Further consultation on Bilaterals III
The rejection of the initiative paves the way for further consultation on Bilaterals III. These agreements will allow the successful bilateral approach to be stabilised and further developed. According to a recent survey, a large majority of voters are in favour of continuing the bilateral approach.
A clear signal for the bilateral approach
“The Federal Council has negotiated a package of new agreements with the EU (sometimes referred to as ‘Bilaterals III’). The package includes various measures to stabilize existing agreements as well as new agreements. Do you support Switzerland's new package of agreements with the EU?”
Source: Sotomo, Juni 2026
Switzerland is dependent on its workforce
It is essential that companies continue to have sufficient skilled workers in the future in order to maintain Switzerland’s prosperity and the quality of life in the country. Demographic developments will further exacerbate labour shortages. It is therefore imperative that we in Switzerland make better use of the potential in the country’s workforce and improve the framework conditions accordingly. Immigration must continue to be geared to the labour market. The EU’s free movement of persons helps companies to recruit skilled workers from abroad easily when needed.
Strict implementation of the right to asylum
At the same time, it is clear that the issue of immigration is of concern to the population. Asylum migration poses a particular challenge for policymakers. Consistent and strict implementation of asylum law at federal and cantonal level is essential. Action is also needed in terms of housing policy. Building permit procedures need to be simplified so that enough housing can be built, and infrastructure must evolve to keep pace with the current situation. Finally, we need to stimulate better qualitative growth. The rapid growth of the public sector must be curbed; this will also free up more Swiss workers for the private sector. The focus must be on ensuring a competitive environment that encourages innovation, as this creates the best conditions for higher productivity.
economiesuisse welcomes the result in favour of the Civilian Service Act
economiesuisse welcomes the vote in favour of the revised Civilian Service Act. This clearly reinforces the principle that military service is the norm.
