Zurich - Swiss voters approved closer links with Europe by a two-to-one majority in a referendum yesterday, official results showed. Based on returns from all cantons the government said 67.2 per cent of the votes cast were for the bilateral accords with the European Union that align traditionally neutral Switzerland more with the EU.
The treaties will make movement of goods and people easier, reduce hurdles to cross-border transport and open up public procurement and produce markets. They are expected to speed up economic growth and tackle bottlenecks in the Swiss job market.