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A much bigger Switzerland?

This, from Le Matin, taken in turn from Weltwoche:


The majority of the French, Germans, Austrians and Italians living in regions bordering [Switzerland] would like to be integrated into Switzerland.  Weltwoche questioned 1,791 people living in Savoy / Upper Savoy, Baden-Wurtemburg, Voralberg and Como/Varese....More than half (52%) of the Austrian and Italian neighbors are find the idea of secession appealing. In France and Germany, this proportion is only slightly lower (48%).
Rather annoyingly, I cannot lay hands on a map of European regions to which I could then add dotted lines to for this purpose.

Vorarlberg would add 1000 sq miles and 373,000 people, Baden-Wurttemburg 13,800 sq miles and 10.7 million  people, the two Savoys 4,021 square miles and 1.1 million people and Como Varese 960 square miles and 1.4 million people.

This would more than double the size of Switzerland from 15,940 square miles to 35,721 and its population would climb from 7.8 million to 21 million.

Having been to Geneva, I can vouch for CH being very clean etc, but fun it ain't.

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Blogger Bill Quango MP said... 3:46 pm

I wouldn't mind joining Switzerland.
Sure,less puking in the streets, but then less wars too.
And their hot chocolate is way better than ours!  



Blogger Croydonian said... 4:36 pm

Can't say I'm fussed about the chocolate - bar the occasional chunk of dark Toblerone - but they do seem to run their place better than most.  



Blogger All Seeing Eye said... 12:00 pm

As in all these things, the surveys don't go into whether the motivating factor is 'escaping ' or 'embracing'.

I have Swiss relatives and, splendid and delightful as the country is to visit, after six months of living there I'd be gouging my eyeballs out with a spoon for entertainment.  



Blogger Croydonian said... 12:05 pm

ASE - from what I remember of the news story,the major motivator was a liking for Swiss direct democracy. Which I think is quite heartening.  



Blogger H said... 1:22 pm

Vorarlberg, the neighbouring region in Austria, did indeed vote to become part of Switzerland in a plebiscite held after the First World War. The canny Swiss declined the chance to expand, however.  



Blogger Dr Evil said... 3:58 pm

Ever tried a Sunday night in Basel when it's raining? That really is dull. So it was stop in the hotel bar for the evening!  



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