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Torn Between International Cooperation and National Sovereignty: Voter Attitudes in Trade‐off Situations in Switzerland
Author(s) -
Lauener Lukas,
Emmenegger Patrick,
Häusermann Silja,
Walter Stefanie
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
swiss political science review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.632
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1662-6370
pISSN - 1424-7755
DOI - 10.1111/spsr.12484
Subject(s) - immigration , negotiation , economics , political science , international trade , liberalization , sovereignty , control (management) , international economics , political economy , law , market economy , politics , management
This research note examines voter preferences in Swiss‐EU relations. We identify large shares of cross‐pressured voters, i.e., citizens who support the bilateral treaties but wish to either control immigration into Switzerland or oppose a liberalization of social protection measures on the job market. Voters experiencing a trade‐off between immigration control and international cooperation are mainly located on the Right. Their share decreased between 2015 and 2019, whereas the share of neutral voters sharply increased. Moreover, negotiations about an Institutional Framework Agreement between Switzerland and the EU have given rise to a new trade‐off – namely between social protection and international cooperation – with cross‐pressured voters mainly concentrated on the Left. This tension has generated a high share of undecided voters. When pressured to decide on these trade‐offs, cross‐pressured and neutral voters opt for the bilateral treaties over immigration control, whereas they prefer social protection over the new agreement. Partisanship is a strong predictor of these choices.