Swiss voters reject proposal to cap population at 10 million

Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to limit the country’s population to 10 million, according to early projections from Sunday’s nationwide referendum.

Preliminary results indicated that about 55 percent of voters opposed the measure, while 45 percent supported it, dealing a setback to the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which sponsored the initiative.

The proposal sought to curb population growth largely driven by immigration and would have required the government to take action if Switzerland’s population approached the 10 million mark.

The vote attracted significant attention because of concerns it could jeopardize Switzerland’s long-standing free movement agreement with the European Union, a key pillar of the country’s economic relationship with its largest trading partner.

Switzerland’s population has grown steadily over the past two decades, increasing from 7.3 million in 2002 to approximately 9.1 million today. Foreign nationals account for about 27 percent of the population.

Supporters of the initiative argued that rapid population growth was placing increasing pressure on housing, transportation, schools and social services.

“We have lost control,” said Nils Fiechter, a lawmaker representing the Swiss People’s Party in the canton of Bern.

“Unchecked immigration is leading to Switzerland no longer being Switzerland,” he added.

Fiechter maintained that challenges including a housing shortage, traffic congestion and overstretched public services were directly linked to immigration.

Opponents, however, argued that the proposal oversimplified complex economic and social issues.

“It is not migrants who determine rent levels. It is not migrants who raise health insurance premiums. Nor is it migrants who make political decisions on housing, infrastructure or social investment,” said Helin Genis, a Social Democrat and member of Bern’s city council.

She further argued that viewing national challenges “through the lens of migration does not lead to solutions, but to division.”

Business groups also campaigned against the proposal, warning that it could undermine Switzerland’s access to the European single market and worsen labour shortages.

“The EU is still by far the most important trading partner for Switzerland,” said Rudolf Minsch, chief economist of Switzerland’s business association, Economiesuisse.

Employers in sectors such as tourism, healthcare and elder care had warned that restrictions on immigration could make it harder to fill essential jobs, particularly as Switzerland’s population continues to age.

The referendum result preserves existing immigration arrangements and avoids a potentially contentious renegotiation of Switzerland’s relationship with the European Union.

Source: BBC