Switzerland on Sunday rejected a referendum proposal to cap its population at 10 million, a projection showed, as voters prioritised economic stability and the country's ties with the European Union over immigration concerns.
A preliminary projection published by national broadcaster SRF indicated about 45% of voters were in favour of the proposal and 55% against.
The referendum, which was likened to Britain's 2016 Brexit vote, had put businesses on edge due to concerns it could lead to the end of free movement of labour between Switzerland and the EU, its main trading partner.
The proposal by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party sets a population cap of 10 million by 2050. It also states that if the limit is exceeded for two consecutive years, Switzerland should withdraw from its free movement agreement with the EU.
Urs Bieri from polling firm GFS Bern said the vote failed because although many people were worried about the rising population, they were not convinced by the plan and worried about the possible side-effects.
"From the very beginning it has been presented as the chaos initiative. Voters were worried about negative consequences for Switzerland's relationship with the EU and for the labour market," he said.
Close outcome had been expected
The Swiss population already stands at 9.1 million and has grown far more quickly than in the surrounding EU. Foreigners make up nearly 28% of the Swiss population, which official projections forecast will reach 10 million by the early 2040s.
Polls had forecast a close outcome, and the result tallied with a final survey by pollsters GFS Bern, which had predicted the proposal would be narrowly rejected.
Still, the substantial backing for the measure sits alongside growing support for policies aimed at curbing immigration across Europe. Campaign posters proclaimed only 10% of incomers were skilled workers and that asylum seekers were more likely to be rapists.
Opponents dubbed the plan a recipe for chaos because of the upheaval it would cause for Swiss companies, workers and Bern's ties with the EU.
They also questioned whether it was wise to clash with Brussels after a bruising 2025, when President Donald Trump slapped the highest U.S. tariffs in Europe on Swiss goods.
Patrick Leisibach, a migration expert at think tank Avenir Suisse, said economic arguments had played a role, with people wary of how a "yes" vote would affect their daily lives.
"They wonder 'who is going to serve me at the restaurant?' and 'who is going to care for me when I get old?' It's more about personal welfare which made people reject this initiative," Leisibach said.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan,...
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance has said Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction to its nuclear enrichment capacity if the seven-month war...
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Minist...
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday, 5 October, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the use of a firing squad to execute former U.S. Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, prompting health authorities to launch an urgent contact-tracing operation.
Kosovo's parliament has elected economist and academic Justina Shiroka Pula as the country's new president, concluding a dramatic political process just hours before a constitutional deadline that threatened to dissolve the legislature.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment