介绍:
European foreign ministers have reacted after Swiss voters narrowly backed a proposal to limit immigration.
In a radio interview French Foreign Minister Lauren Fabius revealed he's worried the outcome shows Switzerland wants to turn in on itself.
He notes agreements between Switzerland and the EU, which has been in place since 1999, must now be renegotiated.
50.3 percent of Swiss nationals voted yes on Sunday to reintroduce immigration quotas on EU citizens in a referendum.
The result is a blow to the government after it had warned the measure may harm the Swiss economy and relationship with the European Union.-
According to the Swiss constitution, lawmakers now have 3-years to revise immigration legislation and put it into practice.
Not everyone is happy with the outcome including Ireland's Foreign Minister, Eamon Gilmore.
"I think this is a very disturbing vote. I think we have seen throughout Europe a growth in what I can only call an extreme-right agenda, which is quite xenophobic. This vote I think causes major difficulties for the free movement of people in Europe, which is very much a cornerstone of what the European Union is about."
Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary William Hague notes the democratic outcome must be respected.
The latest decision will have far-reaching consequences for the hundreds of thousands of foreigners working in Switzerland.
The outcome marks another success for the nationalist Swiss People's Party, which has won a series of referendums in recent years.
Under Swiss law the government must now renegotiate its treaty on the free movement of people, though it is still unclear what kind of caps will be placed on immigration, and when.
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