Geneva — Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected calls for immediate membership talks with the European Union on Sunday, underlining the Alpine nation's tenacious independence at the heart of the continent.
In a national referendum, an unexpectedly high 77 percent voted against the "Yes to Europe" proposal, which called for the government to begin talks on joining the economic and trading bloc.
The government had campaigned against the proposal, submitted by a coalition of left-wing and youth groups in 1996, as politically premature.
"We are very pleased with the result," said Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger. "It is a unified political response from the whole country."
Although the seven-member Swiss Cabinet has repeatedly stated it wants Switzerland to join the EU, it argues that public opinion won't permit that until at least 2010. And even that may be an ambitious target given the size of the no vote indicated in Sunday's referendum.
In Brussels, a spokesman for the EU Executive Commission played down the snub.
"The Swiss did not say no to Europe. They chose to answer the question later," said EU spokesman Luc Veron. "And this is obviously a choice that the European Commission respects."
Even though they are surrounded by EU countries, the 6 million Swiss are fiercely independent and take pride in their sovereignty. Government plans to join a very loose European trade pact were thrown out in a 1992 referendum, and since then authorities have put integration on the back-burner. Switzerland is not even a member of the United Nations because of deep mistrust of outside interference.
Economically, Switzerland is thriving. Last year there was a record budget surplus of $2.6 billion, and consumer confidence is at a 12-year high. Inflation and unemployment are only about 2 percent, and foreign companies are flocking to set up headquarters in Switzerland.
Swiss companies and banks, which used to be enthusiastic advocates of EU membership, have cooled to the prospect. The main financial industry group, Economiesuisse, welcomed the outcome and said it would allow more time to realize the benefits of bilateral free- trade agreements reached with the EU two years ago in areas like transport, labor and agriculture.
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