jfs: latest news release on Swiss foreign policy (EU relations)
Specialists and qualified people from Romania and Bulgaria: welcome to Switzerland!
The Young Liberals of Switzerland (jungfreisinnige schweiz jfs) embrace the so-called extension of the free movement of persons to Romania and Bulgaria. With this policy Switzerland will grant not only the same rights to citizens of the two newest EU-member states as to the rest of the EU, but will also get new opportunities and growth potentials. Switzerland will benefit from highly qualified people as well as from an unrestricted access to new markets. To fully seize these opportunities Switzerland must renounce any additional accompanying (protectionist) measures.
The Young Liberals of Switzerland (jfs) are delighted about the completion of negotiations on the extension of the free movement of persons to Romania and Bulgaria. This policy creates new opportunities to recruit urgently needed highly qualified workforce for Switzerland. Additionally, the Swiss will have the unrestrained chance to participate in the fast growth of the dynamic Romanian and Bulgarian economies. There is no danger of a so-called wave of migrants into Switzerland. Contingents for the transition period and eventual safety clauses are effective protective measures for more than the next ten years.
To mutually open up markets means to foster prosperity, stability and peace in the region. The inhabitants of Romania and Bulgaria are customers of the future – also for our products and services. Already today Swiss exports to Romania and Bulgaria exceed 1 bn Swiss Francs, the growth rates are sensational. This provides benefits not just for our exporters, but also for many Swiss suppliers and sub-contractors which keeps and even creates jobs in Switzerland. Hence, the free movement of persons enables Switzerland also in the future to grab a big slice of the "growth pie".
The Young Liberals of Switzerland call for a swift implementation after the upcoming signing of the protocol. The free movement of persons policy with Romania and Bulgaria must be adopted without any additional (protectionist) measures, as they proved to be expensive and redundant. The protocol contains already many safety elements which suffice entirely.
Contact for further information:
Lena Schneller, President of the jfs
+41 76 320 21 21
Adrian Ineichen, International Officer of the jfs
+41 76 309 09 65
Alain Schreiner, Deputy International Officer of the jfs
+41 79 743 32 63