Romanians, Bulgarians to Work in Switzerland

Do you know that on Feb8 there will be a vote in Switzerland to decide if Bulgarians and Romanians can go to work there? What do you think of that?

They must accept to work there….

What sort of new rule is this ?

Switzerland's relationship with the European Union is complex.  The European Union has a freedom of passage agreement, where any citizen of a member state can go to another country without a problem. 

Since Switzerland has signed onto this agreement in 2002, and Bulgaria and Romania have recently joined the European Union, the Swiss are now voting to decide whether to keep this free passage agreement and also whether to allow Bulgarians and Romanians into this agreement, allowing them to freely enter Switzerland as well.  

While national Swiss leaders and the EU itself is strongly in favor of allowing Bulgarians and Romanians into Switzerland, the mood of the Swiss people is considerably more divided. Switzerland has about 22% of her population foreign, and xenophobia is starting to gain a larger toehold into the population, along with the popularization of far-right parties.  Combined with the massive economic crisis of the present, there is a lot of fear going around, and people generally don't reach out with open arms when they are afraid.

The Right-wing parties in Switzerland are campaigning very hard for a no-vote.  Currently it looks like the yes-vote will win, but it is very very close, and in the current climate people may be inclined to be worried.  

Personally, I favor a yes-vote, but I wouldn't be surprised if they voted no. 

I don't understand Switzerland's problem. It's not like Bulgarians and Romanians are going to be taking away their jobs or anything. For the most part, they're going to be doing jobs that Swiss citizens won't normally do – in the service industry or agriculture! Unless you're not a professional or some kind of expert in a field that Switzerland has got an acute need of. So they'll be actually scratching each other's back.

What some Swiss are all upset about is the idea that, if they allow this, a huge hoard of Bulgarians and Romanians will come, but there won't be enough jobs for them, and they will just sit in the street, take advantage of the welfare system, force the Swiss to feed them and give them houses, ghettoize Swiss cities, and form gangs and commit crimes. 

Obviously, I disagree; I see no reason why there should be any flood of people to Switzerland especially, and I think if there is a need the easiest way to fill it would be with more closely related Eastern Europeans.   And normally, I think most Swiss would also have no problem with allowing the Bulgarians and Romanians, who after all are fellow Europeans.  But this is not a happy time for any economy, and people are worried and scared.  The Swiss have always been nationalistic; that there are currents of xenophobia in their society, like any other, is hardly surprising.  It's depressing, but not surprising. 

"they will just sit in the street, take advantage of the welfare system, force the Swiss to feed them and give them houses, ghettoize Swiss cities, and form gangs and commit crimes.  "

Well , I've been living in Greece for the last 5 years, and a lot of Bulgarians have started moving here 15 or maybe 20 years ago. And there's neither of these  – ghettos, welfare and housing issues nor gangs. This is just hilarious!!!

Most of them don't even come here to stay. Some of them would just  make some money , like, settle some sort of financial problems etc and go home. Others would probably stay to support their families back home, for example. Either way, welfare doesn't really suit them as you can see. There are few who kinda made it big, like, start their own business or something so they actually contribute rather than be a burden. Even those who are regular workers contribute in so many ways to the economy because they pay rent and bills here, shop here or keep their money in Greek banks. So far, I haven't met ANY Bulgarian on welfare here!!!

For the most part, they're going to be doing jobs that Swiss citizens won't normally do

Lots of countries need people from abroad to do these jobs which the original people cannot do !

I do not understand what kind of new rule is this or what was the reason behind this decision !!!

However, this is really hilarious because in this way, which is making votes in Switzerland to decide whether Bulgarians can work there or not, it will just cause a dreadful relationship between the pointed countries with Switzerland !

nad1a –

Well, you don't have to tell me twice, but it's not me you have to convince, it's the whacko far-right that makes posters like these in Switzerland.  Three guesses who the crows are, and the first two don't count. 

Normally I think that these elements would not be in a position to influence anything, but fear and uncertainty make people turtle up.  

I don't think the Swiss will reject this, but if they do, it is their loss.  Everything is better when there are Bulgarians around.   And the Romanians are all athletic and whatnot.

I'm not trying to convince anyone. We're just discussing , right?

Besides, they already know that.

Yeah, we are ^^  

Anyway, let's talk about a real topic, like what the heck Macedonians are thinking when they try to say that they are not speaking Bulgarian.  What's up with that?? And Moldovans?  What about them?