Geneva ready for UN embrace

A historic Yes! say Geneva's newspapers

By Jorn Madslien BBC News Online reporter in Geneva

In Geneva on Monday, it was difficult to detect much alarm about the country's decision to apply for UN membership.

Switzerland must join the UN to show solidarity with the rest of the world - I don't want anything in return

Margrit, pensioner

Most people BBC News Online spoke with were both pleased and surprised that the Yes vote had won the day.

"I would never have expected that Switzerland would have joined the UN," said Marc who works in tourism.

Hichem, a Tunisian who has lived and worked as a courier in Geneva since 1997, agreed.

"My view, as a foreigner living and working here, is that it is good that they will become part of the wider community," he said.

Disaster

The No side had campaigned hard to preserve what they saw as a threat to Switzerland's neutrality.

We don't want the United Nations to send our boys to Afghanistan

Bus driver

But a poster campaign showing an axe crushing this long standing Swiss principle failed to impress the people of Geneva where about two thirds voted Yes.

Fritz, a banker from Zurich who moved to Geneva five years ago to learn French, said it would have been a disaster if the outcome had been a No vote.

"Switzerland has become too isolated. A No vote would have been seen as a rejection and would have sent out a signal that the Swiss are egotistical," he said.

"The vote is 100% good," said Margrit, a Zurich pensioner. "Switzerland must join the UN to show solidarity with the rest of the world. I don't want anything in return."

Patrick, a student, said this was a diplomatic victory for Switzerland, adding that he hoped the next step would be membership of the European Union.

Sceptics

But not everyone agreed that the right decision had been made.

"This is the first step, what's next?" asked a bus driver who declined to give his name.

"We don't want the United Nations to send our boys to Afghanistan," he said.