The Explainer The Implications of Switzerland's Closing Its Borders

摘要

On Feb. 9, Swiss voters narrowly approved a referendum calling for quotas on immigrants from the European Union. Speaking to RTL radio after the result, the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, said the vote was "worrying because it means Switzerland wants to withdraw into itself." The country is not a member of the E.U., but the vote-the government has three years to write it into law-puts a question mark over its trade and labor deals with the bloc, its biggest trading partner.