Switzerland's referendum was far more moderately phrased than you'd think from the coverage. Voters have not demanded an end to all immigration, or even to all EU immigration. All they have done is mandated their MPs to come up, at some stage over the next three years, with some controls. [...]
Then again, the Eurocrats have half an eye on Britain. If the Swiss can unilaterally alter their deal with Brussels, why not the British? And if the British, why not the Danes? And if the Danes, why not the Dutch? [...]
In any scenario, EU countries benefit from free trade with Switzerland and with the UK – and, for that matter, with Norway, Macedonia, Andorra, Turkey and every other European non-member. The idea that the EU will harm itself in order to harm Switzerland depends on the notion that it is motivated by vindictiveness rather than self-interest. I don't believe that for a moment. But if I'm wrong – if Eurocrats really would impoverish their own countries out of sheer spite – what are we doing allowing such people to rule us?
MEP Daniel Hannan på sin Telegraph-blog
