Swiss vote to open up job market

56% of the Swiss electorate voted on Sunday 25 September in favour of extending the EU/Swiss agreement on free movement of workers, to the ten new Member States of the European Union. Jos Manuel Barroso the president of the European Commission congratulated the Swiss people on Sunday even for having made the decision to extend the benefits of free movement of people to all European Union nationalsThis vote demonstrates that Switzerland and the EU are working together successfully to promote integration of our people and economies and to strengthen cohesion in Europe.

In the same evening, Samuel Schmid, president of Switzerland declared, today's vote is of great importance, notably for economic growth and protection of workers. The yes vote reinforces Switzerland as an economic pole. Switzerland is in fact the tributary of stable relations with the enlarged EU in general and an important marked for recruiting skilled labour in particular.