Would EU membership necessarily spell the end of Switzerlands cherished system of direct democracy?
T.C.: Not at all. Our research has shown that about 50 per cent of Swiss laws are directly affected by the EU. However, there is no or only an indirect impact on the rest of the legal regulations. This is notably true for large parts of the law on cantonal and local levels where the instruments of direct democracy remain intact. Direct democracy still has a role to play in the implementation of EU laws. A regulation could be rejected in a referendum for instance. This is already the case with the packages of bilateral treaties which interlink accords – a model which has its pros and cons.swissinfo.ch: How could Switzerland improve its international standing if it were to join the EU? T.C.: Switzerland would be able to break its isolation in Europe and could participate in networks on the level of governments, their administrations and parliament. The country could take part in the legislative process, help set the political agenda and live up to its own democratic ideals. At the moment
