The EU is upset with Switzerland for having the sense to limit Immigration there

European leaders assailed the Swiss people Monday for voting in favor of a referendum measure that would limit the numbers of immigrants who could move to Switzerland. 

"We're going to review our relationship with Switzerland," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told RTL radio. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told 

German broadcaster ARD, "It will cause a lot of trouble for Switzerland."

The Swiss on Sunday approved cuts to immigration quotas applicable to their fellow Europeans in a measure known as "Stop Mass Immigration." The measure passed with 50.3% of the vote, and its requires employers to make Swiss nationals a priority during the hiring process. 

The leaders of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), which led the initiative, said the majority of Switzerland said clearly that immigration has gone too far.

"The Swiss people said clearly, Switzerland is ours," Christoph Blocher, vice president of the party, told Swiss broadcaster SRF. 

The SVP argued that the infrastructure of the country was overburdened and the price of housing was going up because of foreigners. Nearly one-quarter of Switzerland's 8 million people are foreigners, according to the government. 

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Switzerland isn't a member of the European Union but it has close ties to the 28-nation bloc. Switzerland allows most of the EU's 500 million citizens to live and work in the country and Swiss citizens can do the same in the European Union nations. 

Because of the referendum approval, the Swiss government will have to renegotiate its treaty with the EU though the measure was not specific on what kind of limits must be imposed on immigration. 

Two years ago Switzerland introduced quotas for immigrants from eight central and eastern European nations.

Read the full story HERE and read a related story below:

Swiss Vote Seen as Challenge to European Integration

Maybe the Swiss want to continue to be known as Swiss...rather than just Europeans?...and see that as a change THEY DON'T WANT...If I were 'Swiss', I wouldn't want it either.

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