The Swiss refused in the referendum on the implementation of a closer movement of men and capital vis-à-vis the European Union, with 61.7% of the votes and a participation rate of 60%. According to La Vanguardia, the programme of the populist right-wing party UDC advocated that the Swiss should have preferential access to jobs and that their sponsorships and social benefits should be higher than those of the 27 EU countries.

As the most voted party in Switzerland in the 2019 elections, the election of UDC was expected to have more support in the consultation. But that has not been the case.

Advocates of free movement have alluded during the campaign to “economic losses” and to the anti-discrimination discourse. If Switzerland were to adopt restrictive measures, Brussels would automatically promote trade policies aimed at strengthening the country.