EU Blackmails Switzerland For a Billion Swiss Franc
Swiss voters have in a referendum approved with a 53% majority a new deal with the EU. Or actually, calling it "a deal" is a bit misleading. It is more like blackmail.
Switzerland is not a part of the EU, but being completely geographically surrounded by EU states and having 70% of its trade with the EU, its economy depends on having good trade relations with the EU. So, they have instead tried to achieve a free trade agreement with the EU. Since free trade is mutually beneficial one would have thought that this would be a no-brainer.
But the EU, knowing that little Switzerland depend far more on them than vice versa, told the Swiss that they cannot just cherry pick the advantages of the EU, while completely opting out of paying money to the EU budget. So the EU told the Swiss: pay us a billion swiss franc per year, or we'll institute trade barriers that would harm the Swiss economy even more. Pure blackmail, in other words. The EU will thus get to enjoy the benefits of free trade with Switzerland and cherry pick another billion swiss franc, while the swiss will have to pay up a billion swiss franc in "protection money" to the Don Corleones of Brussells.
Switzerland is not a part of the EU, but being completely geographically surrounded by EU states and having 70% of its trade with the EU, its economy depends on having good trade relations with the EU. So, they have instead tried to achieve a free trade agreement with the EU. Since free trade is mutually beneficial one would have thought that this would be a no-brainer.
But the EU, knowing that little Switzerland depend far more on them than vice versa, told the Swiss that they cannot just cherry pick the advantages of the EU, while completely opting out of paying money to the EU budget. So the EU told the Swiss: pay us a billion swiss franc per year, or we'll institute trade barriers that would harm the Swiss economy even more. Pure blackmail, in other words. The EU will thus get to enjoy the benefits of free trade with Switzerland and cherry pick another billion swiss franc, while the swiss will have to pay up a billion swiss franc in "protection money" to the Don Corleones of Brussells.
posted by stefankarlsson at 8:27 PM
6 Comments:
The EU is the ultimate Imperialist, forcing people to do their will with the threat of sanctions. Their recent "takeover of UEFA" shows their lack of respect for the right of other points of view.
While I disapproved of the EU action it's only fair to point out that Switerland has for centuries charged Europeans for the priveledge of crossing Switerland
This is blackmail, pure and simple! Switzerland, not being part of the EU, is unfairly burdened by EU based trucking and transportation firms. Trucks traverse the country without paying fuel or use taxes essential to maintain the roadways. For the most part, trucks fill their tanks before crossing the frontier depriving Switzerland of revenue. This is very sad indeed. Demands of 1 billion CHF is extortion by heavy handed, self-indulgent Eurocrats in Brussels.
As an American, I visit Switzerland often. Friends often ask me what I think of Switzerland joining the EU. I always reply, please do not join. Why? Look at the mess in France today. Look at Germany with their fast growing population of non-assimilating, so-called, "immigrants" from violence prone third world countries. For the most part, the immigrants will not learn the native language, obey the laws, embrace European culture, and, worst of all, wish to force their religious and social morays ways upon the native people. This is a prescription for disaster.
It appears that France is doomed over time. In two generations, France will be finished as the immigrants and their offspring will have displaced the French people by their sheer numbers alone. No doubt civil unrest will intensify over time. Today, the French government will not take the painful and necessary steps to save the French Republic from ruin.
In short, if Switerland joins the EU, and loses its control over immigration and its borders, it may be like France eventually. To join the EU, Switzerland would be committing national suicide.
Switzerland is in a tough place since it is surrounded by EU member states. In my opinion, should a severe economic event take place, such as a worldwide depression, the EU nations will be forced to compete against each other once again by enacting tariffs to protect home industries. While the monetary union may survive because it would be too difficult to disassemble it, the remainder of the present EU legal and political structure will have to be radically changed.
Globalism will no doubt fail as what is occuring is essentially global labor arbitrage, the demand for "cheap labor" in order to compete. Europe, with its high socialism costs, cannot compete against China, Mexico and other nations where these costs of doing business are not present. Globalism will fail due to the lack of easily obtainable and less expensive crude oil supplies. As we reach "peak oil" and the amount of petroleum products decreases, soon we will be faced with the reality that we cannot grow national economies anymore. If you cannot grow a business or a national economy, the whole financial and social system is at risk. It could well be a house of cards once energy sources become scarce. Natural gas is in the same, if not worse, situation. Mr. Putin, or his successor, may well flex Russia's energy might to control all of Western Europe....Pay up or freeze!
I couldn't have put it better myself:
In short, if Switerland joins the EU, and loses its control over immigration and its borders, it may be like France eventually. To join the EU, Switzerland would be committing national suicide.
Speek by your self american! You know nothing about the EU. If today's we have to fear the emigrants, specially the muslums its because of US bad beahiviour against this peoples, in meadle east, or war in iraq.
I don't know why are you so impressed with this EU action. Switzerland enjoys multiple treats with European Union, but, as it is not a member state, she doesn't pay the EU the fees, which a rich member state would do. So that, EU wastes in Switzerland, and Switzerland can't pay the miserables billion swiss franks for that? I believe the money that swiss earns from exports to EU countries are reason enough for that payment. Is fare!
EU can only bring benefits to Switzerland: economy, defense, better relationship with European countries and the rest of the world, developing eastern countries, which will decrease the flux of emigrants, and improve the economic fertile for all our national companies, or may be the euro ( the worlds second used currency, and it's improving ).
In my opinion, in a short time, swiss people will understand that joining the European Union, is an excellent choice.
See you guys.
First of all, I am not an American and while some of the commentators may be, that's not really relevant. And as I wrote in the post Switzerland benefits from the EU, but the EU benefits from trade with Switzerland as well. There is no need for anyone to pay anything to the other for a deal which is mutually beneficial anyway.
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