GETTY The EU is fuming due to a Swiss plan to prioritise Swiss workers

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While not even a member of the 28-country bloc, the European Union (EU) nonetheless demanded a meeting with the Swiss migration minister yesterday. Mario Gattiker said he was not in Brussels to defend the planned policy but “only to inform”. He was questioned by EU officials about the “local preference light” scheme, which would see employers prioritise Swiss residents over non-Swiss residents.

The employment proposal originated in an initiative put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which aimed to cut immigration. This was approved by Swiss voters in 2014 and will be implemented by February next year.

GETTY Switzerland is not in the EU but still has access to the single market

The vote was a hammer-blow to Brussels fat cats, as it violated the fragile agreement between the EU and non-member state Switzerland, which is balanced on the free movement of people. However, the party has blasted the final product as “the death of democracy”, as the new proposal purely focuses on employment preferences and does not include any quotas.

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The Swiss climb-down may set alarm bells ringing for Prime Minister Theresa May and her Brexit officials, as it shows the EU appears unbudging in its mantra that access to the single market can only come with free movement. Even despite this, the Swiss scheme may not be approved due to concerns from the EU, which is Switzerland’s biggest trading partner. Switzerland is the EU’s fourth largest trading partner.

NC Mario Gattiker said the EU is "afraid" of Switzerland's proposal

GETTY Anti-immigration posters in Switzerland