Swiss-EU Deal Needs Change of Constitution, Bern Lawmakers Say

A deal revamping Swiss relations with the European Union requires a constitutional amendment, according to a panel of lawmakers whose views hint at the hurdles the agreement will face.

The decision of the Upper House’s Political Institutions Committee in Bern, announced in a statement on Wednesday, highlights just how controversial the accord is in Switzerland given local fears of increased immigration from the bloc. If Parliament were to concur, a high bar to any changes in the constitution could end up scuppering the whole deal.