(1) Not that free. You can enter for up to 90 days, without right to work or settle, with mandatory registration where you stay. After that, you have to leave, if you don't have the permit to stay longer or work. The only advantage EU citizens have is, that they can get the permit in Switzerland; all the others have to go to embassy in their home countries.

Switzerland is a classic model of controlled borders and mandatory visa regime, which in some cases and for some purposes can be waived.

(2) What happened in Germany and some other EU countries in 2015, is antithesis to gradual opening of the border.

(3) That's only for the citizens of EU; not for citizens of third countries, i.e. not exactly what proponents of open borders fight for.