I don't really understand why Switzerland refuses to join the European Union when it's completely surrounded by member countries. What are the advantages to staying independent like that? Are there historical reasons or is it just a political choice?
It's really a mix of history and political pragmatism. Switzerland has this tradition of neutrality going back centuries, and honestly it does just fine without the EU - it negotiates bilateral agreements that work better for it, it keeps its autonomy on tons of issues, and its economy runs really well. Then there's also the question of Swiss identity, cantons that love their independence, and honestly some wariness toward supranational institutions. So it's not really an aggressive refusal, more that the status quo suits them just fine.
Neutrality is part of the answer, but the real thing is that Switzerland has built an economic model that works too well for them to give it up - ultra-developed financial sector, political stability, high wages. The EU would ask them to adopt its rules without Switzerland really having a say in decision-making, so zero interest for them. They prefer to stay free to negotiate case by case with Brussels.
The Swiss are just obsessed with their independence and you get it when you see how they run things! They've built a system that works really well without having to follow all of Brussels's rules - they keep their freedom to negotiate made-to-order deals with whoever they want, and it lets them stay neutral in conflicts. It's a pragmatic calculation: why submit to massive bureaucracy when you can keep total control of your laws and financial policy?
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