Should Switzerland stay out of the EU maximising the benefit of bilateral agreements instead? Or should they join and raise taxes to subsidise the rest of Europe?

Hmm, I am divided. For social and political reasons yes. If you knew the amount of bilateral treaties CH already has, joining would only be the next step. But I think joining the Euro would not be a good idea. Too many countries such as Italy, the Netherlands etc. where it has been an excuse for a 200% price rise or more.

I think there is very little chance of the Swiss voting themselves into a poor-man's club.

French voters only just scraped in when asked, the Dutch had to do it twice until they got got right. Britain would be out tomorrow if the people could vote. Even the Germans now feel they have about finished paying for what the Grandfathers did in WW2....

BTW, the thread is titled "Should Switzerland stay out of the EU?" but the poll is "Should Switzerland join the EU?" Bit like the confusing wording of a Swiss quarterly vote, where 10% vote the wrong way...

I didn't notice that I'd voted opposite to what I intended until I read AbFab's post, so you can put me down as one of the fools in the 10% confused category.

And what social and political reasons would those be? The right to be dictated to by corrupt bureaucrats? The right to pay tax to be spent on projects which will never be accounted for?

There is no social or political reason to join the EU. Unless you support dictatorship.

I think the primary reason why the EU is destined to fail (in its current form) is the sheer amount of beurocracy involved. An army of 10000 beurocrats has to be paid just so they can decide from their comfortable chair in Brussel if Jacques France should grow corn or pumpkins this year.

The EU is overly centralized, bloated, inefficient and unless it will be skimmed down people will just get fed up with it.

In one sentence, the EU is a shining example of how a briliant and sincere idea can be turned to utter crap. I just don't know why governments always screw up...

I don't see a reaosn why we should.

Look who is joining the EU now?

... I better don't continue...

No you had better not otherwise you will get labelled with the "r" word.

I don't see why the Swiss should join the EU. Even though they are out of it they are still involved with agreements with the EU. I wish the UK had stayed out as the UK would have ended up no more isolated than Switzerland is. The Swiss have an enviable political system of direct democracy. If they don't like a law then they change it. I they want a law then they can add it. In this way the Swiss people can choose their own fate. If they joined the EU then they would no longer be in control of their own country and their own fate.

I agree with RolandRB - the Swiss people are so used running their own country that in my short time here I have seldom heard them complain about their "government” They seem to feel like a integral part of their community which they are very proud of but of course

They literally take the law into their own hands!

It seems to me like - Switzerland is already where EU ideologically is trying to get to. They have the German, French, Italian and Romansch all separate – each one does their own thing from taxes to trams and yet each part feels as Swiss as can be.

In probable and advisable chronological order:
1) Hell freezes over
2) Switzerland becomes the 51st State of the USA (State slogan: "The Alpine state - where stuff works". Maybe I should start a thread for suggestions!)
3) Mexico becomes the 52nd State of the USA.
4) Switzerland joins the EU. RIP