Swiss Euroscepticism from a Comparative Perspective

The relation between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) has been strongly politicized for more than three decades, and Euroscepticism in Switzerland remains high compared to other countries. What explains this elevated level of Euroscepticism, and how do its drivers differ from those in other countries? Leveraging the recent inclusion of Switzerland in the Eurobarometer, we conduct a comparative analysis of Swiss public opinion on the EU. The empirical findings show that national identity and right‐leaning views are much stronger predictors of Euroscepticism in Switzerland compared to other European countries. The only similar case is the United Kingdom (UK). Additional comparative analyses of non‐EU countries highlight that public opinion is distinctively different in Switzerland and the UK compared to Iceland and Norway. The analysis sheds light on the interplay between institutional models of integration, politicization, and Euroscepticism in non‐EU countries, with important implications for Swiss politics and Euroscepticism research.