Switzerland Voters Approve Referendum

[cal04]

A narrow majority of Swiss voters approved joining a
European Unionpassport-free zone, abolishing checks on the country's border by 2007, according to final results from a two-issue national referendum Sunday.

In a second vote, a larger majority favored granting more rights to same-sex couples in the first national referendum on such an issue in Europe.About 55 percent of voters favored joining the EU's passport-free "Schengen" zone, indicating that the Swiss favor closer integration with the EU — of which Switzerland is not a member. That mean Swiss customs controls would remain in place.

The result goes against the prevailing mood in the EU, which is reeling from the past week's rejections by French and Dutch voters of a proposed constitution for the 25-nation bloc. Before the referendum, experts predicted that those rejections would encourage opponents of the passport-free zone. Opinion polls showed that the majority support for joining the zone narrowed rapidly before voting day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050605/ap_on_re_eu/switzerland_referendum

[ckramer]

1. These are smart people

[Robb]

2. Somehow sounds a little funny...

Read it quickly and it sounds like same-sex couples have to hang out i the "schengen" zone. :D

On topic: Of course the Swiss would be in favor of this. Anything that eases travel through their borders is a good thing for an economy like theirs. Going against it would be like Hawaii voting down air travel.

[sonicx]

3. Public vote gives gays more rights (in Switzerland)

SWISS voters have backed new rules giving homosexual couples many of the same social and taxation rights as married heterosexuals.

"This is a magnificent victory," said Yves Guisan of the Swiss gay organisation Pink Cross.

"I am really proud of the Swiss people, who have proved their openness and courage."

"No" campaigner Ruedi Aeschbacher, a politician from the small Evangelical Party, said the result was a "worrying development" that showed Swiss society was falling apart. <:eyes:>

snip

Official results from Switzerland's 26 cantons showed that 58 per cent of those taking part in the referendum approved legislation which was passed in parliament last year, but held up after opponents forced a popular vote.

more = http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1274&storyid=3241656

[merwin]

4. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1524488