Blocher is recovering from his strenuous campaign against "mass immigration," which he led together with his Swiss People's Party. Without Blocher, the referendum never would have come to pass -- and it certainly would not have achieved its unexpected success, which saw a razor-thin majority of 50.3 percent of voters approving quotas for immigration from European Union countries. It is a result that strikes at the core of united Europe. And once again, Blocher showed them all, particularly the Swiss government in Bern and EU headquarters in Brussels.
It is his most significant triumph since 1992, when he also used a referendum to prevent Switzerland from joining the European Economic Area, a result which put a stop to the country's courtship with EU membership. A satisfied Blocher is sitting at a wooden table in the hotel restaurant and holds forth for two hours. "Switzerland didn't resolve to prevent all foreigners from coming," he said, wagging his finger. "Those who are needed can still come. The others can't."
That the EU has reacted with such a fuss is hardly surprising, he says grinning. The result has led to desperation among the other half of Switzerland's population and sent the country's government into a state of silent despondency. Swiss business owners are concerned about countermeasures from Brussels. More than anything, though, the Swiss referendum has sent shock waves through Europe.
Few paid the vote much mind before it took place, but the referendum's result last week made it onto the front pages of newspapers across Europe. Politicians from London to Berlin, from Brussels to Rome released statements. And it quickly became clear that the Swiss once again shined the spotlight on an issue that people across the continent are concerned about.
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