Switzerland - a passive member of the EU ?

According to a recent survey, "there is only 17 % of Swiss people left who think that the country should become a full member of the EU", regrets the columnist Chantal Tauxe. And yet, "with the bilateral agreements, Switzerland has got itself a non declared status as a passive EU member. We stick to the EU's rights when it suits us, which is nearly always since the economy is our only compass. We register what the EU decides in our laws, as if it were the fruit of our own genius, feigning to be unaware of its origins. Granted, the dues we pay are less high than if we were members. But we don't decide on anything. We don't propose anything. We are happy to position ourselves like gnomes in the political garden. All this while claiming to have much to teach the EU and the world about democracy, the respect of minorities and human rights..."

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