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Swiss voters appear poised to reject a proposal to cap the national population at ten million, according to preliminary projections and opinion polls. The initiative, led by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), aims to curb immigration by imposing strict limits on population growth before 2050. The vote, which requires both a popular majority and cantonal approval, has sparked intense debate over the country's capacity, foreign residents, and ties with the European Union. Critics warn it could cause economic chaos and damage relations with Switzerland's main trading partner. Voters are also considering a separate referendum on making civilian service less accessible, reflecting broader discussions on military readiness and geopolitical tensions.
Switzerland is set to reject capping its population at ten million following a crunch vote on limiting migration into the European country. On Sunday, a preliminary projection has Swiss voters leaning against the proposal, with opinion polls suggesting that the vote, put forward under Switzerland's direct democracy system, could be tight.
Voting booths were set to close at noon, with most of the votes having been cast in advance by post. The first set of results is expected by mid-afternoon. Tensions have been running particularly high over the 'No to a Switzerland with 10 million!
' initiative, put forward by the right-wing Swiss People's Party . That proposal wants measures to stop the wealthy Alpine nation's population - currently 9.1 million - from going above 10 million before 2050.
'There has to be a limit,' retiree Gilles Hirt said at a polling station in Bern Sunday morning, comparing the situation in Switzerland to a ship. 'If it is designed for 150 people and you put 250 on board, it becomes too small. If you put 350 on board, it will sink,' he said. In a country where foreigners make up more than a quarter of the population, the proposal, if accepted, would slam the brakes on immigration.
The SVP, Switzerland's largest party, insists drastic measures are needed, blaming 'mass immigration' for a whole host of problems, from housing shortages and rising rents to overcrowded trains and traffic jams.
Representatives of the Swiss People's Party stand next to a banner reading in German: 'No 10 million Switzerland! sustainability initiative' after the handover of signatures required for a Swiss popular initiative to vote to limit population growth in Switzerland, in Bern on April 3, 2024 A woman holds a sign that reads, 'Muslim woman decolonise' during a protest hours after after Swiss voters accepted an initiative so-called anti-burqa vote, to ban full facial coverings in public places in Bern on March 7, 2021 'Switzerland is a small country that cannot be expanded,' SVP parliamentarian Yvan Pahud said. We 'do not want to welcome all of Europe'.
But critics warned that, if passed, the initiative could cause 'chaos', possibly crippling swathes of the economy and Switzerland's relations with the European Union, its main trading partner.
'The stakes are very high,' Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans told the Tribune de Geneve newspaper, warning that the vote could provoke the equivalent of a Swiss 'Brexit'. The initiative faces broad opposition from the government, parliament and multiple sectors of the economy.
'In a globalised world, it's just stupid to try and close borders and put a number on the people that can be in here,' teacher Josefina Luque said in Bern as she cast her vote against the initiative. 'I don't think it's going to pass,' she said, but stressed the need 'to take some of the worries seriously' if Switzerland did not want to 'have the same initiative in five years'.
Read More Switzerland BACKS move to cap population at ten million as concerns grow over immigration While opinion polls suggested the vote could be tight, the latest surveys pointed to opposition to the proposal nudging ahead. For it to pass, it would need to win not just a majority of votes cast but also majorities in more than half of Switzerland's 26 cantons.
The Swiss will also vote Sunday on a bill passed by parliament to make civilian service less attractive and less accessible, at a time when the war in Ukraine and other geopolitical tensions are pushing European countries to bolster army numbers. It was the political left in the militarily neutral country that called the referendum. They argue the bill is dangerous and could ultimately lead to the alternative to military service being scrapped altogether.
Here too, opinion polls suggest the vote will be close. Switzerland has compulsory military service for men. They serve in a unique militia system in which army conscripts do at least four months' service before being called up repeatedly over a decade for weeks-long refresher sessions. People who conscientiously oppose military service have, since 1996, been permitted to perform civilian service instead.
Since access to civilian service was simplified in 2009, the numbers choosing that option have steadily climbed - a trend the government warns has become 'problematic'.
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