Voters in Switzerland have rejected an unprecedented far-right proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million in a divisive referendum dubbed “the Swiss Brexit.”
Some 54.79% of voters were against the proposal by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), while 45.21% were in favor. Turnout was 58.86%.
A different outcome would have obliged the Swiss government to limit the country’s population, currently 9.1 million, to 10 million by 2050. That would have required enacting tough restrictions on family reunification, residency permits, and asylum if the number had reached 9.5 million before that date. Under the proposals, if the threshold of 10 million people was exceeded before 2050, the Swiss government would have been obliged to withdraw from the country’s free movement agreement with the European Union — ending its access to the bloc’s single market.
The SVP’s Campaign
The SVP, which has the most seats in Switzerland’s parliament, has for years fueled anti-immigrant sentiment, especially concerning workers from neighboring EU countries. The party insisted that a so-called “sustainability initiative” was needed to address the increase in population, which it argued was putting pressure on Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources, and way of life.
Switzerland’s population has grown far faster than that of surrounding EU states, rising by 23% since the free movement agreement came into effect in 2002. Economic output has risen by about 24% over the same period, government figures show. About 27% of Swiss residents are not citizens, according to official data.
Why It Failed
Urs Bieri, from the polling firm GFS Bern, told Reuters that the initiative failed to pass because people were unconvinced by the plan and worried about possible side-effects, despite widespread concern about population growth.
“Voters were worried about negative consequences for Switzerland’s relationship with the EU and for the labor market,” he said. “People are also worried about things like having enough care and health workers. Also, there’s a feeling that in the current international environment it’s not sensible for a small country to do this.”
The seven-member Swiss government, made up of ministers from the country’s four biggest parties including the SVP, was collectively against the initiative. It warned that a population cap would threaten national stability, harm the economy, and hurt Swiss prosperity.
Business groups were also concerned that a population cap would have limited access to foreign workers while damaging Switzerland’s economy and relations with Brussels.
Direct Democracy in Action
Switzerland’s system of direct democracy allows for “popular initiatives” that are put to a referendum if they get 100,000 backers within 18 months. Typically held four times a year, plebiscites are a long-favored tool of the anti-immigration SVP.
While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its total population. Polls had forecast a close outcome, and the final projection tallied with a final survey by GFS Bern, which had predicted the proposal would be narrowly rejected.
The Bottom Line
Swiss voters rejected a far-right proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 2050, with 54.79% voting against. The Swiss People’s Party initiative would have required tough restrictions on immigration and potentially forced Switzerland to leave the EU’s free movement agreement. The government, business groups, and voters concerned about economic and diplomatic consequences opposed the measure. Turnout was 58.86%.
