Switzerland to Vote on Capping Population at 10 Million

On Sunday, Swiss citizens will decide in a dramatic referendum whether to limit the size of the country’s population by law and prevent it from exceeding 10 million by 2050. A referendum in Switzerland that has drawn considerable international attention will be held this Sunday, with voters deciding whether to cap the country’s population legally. The campaign, under the slogan “No to a Switzerland of 10 Million,” is being led by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which seeks to require the authorities to keep the population below 10 million by 2050. Switzerland currently has about 9.1 million residents, after a significant rise since 2002, when the population stood at just 7.3 million, and more than 30% of residents today are foreign citizens. If the initiative is approved, it will take effect within five years, when the population is expected to reach 9.5 million. From that point, the authorities would be required to drastically restrict immigration and family reunification for migrants, and to abandon international agreements that allow foreigners to settle in the country, including free movement arrangements with European Union states. Supporters of the initiative are this time running a focused campaign emphasizing infrastructure, economic and housing problems, and warning of “stress caused by rising density,” which they say would be reflected in competition for train seats and long queues for doctors. On the other hand, the initiative faces fierce opposition from the government, all 26 cantons, industrialists and most of the business community, who warn of serious damage to economic ties with Europe and of a shortage of skilled migrant workers currently employed in banks and hospitals. Swiss Federal Council member Beat Jans expressed his full opposition to the move and said this week, “We need stability, and the European Union remains our main economic and political partner. We must not cause the bridges to Europe to collapse, and that is exactly what this initiative wants to do.” By contrast, Manfred Bühler, a member of the SVP promoting the referendum, admitted in a television interview that the vote is indeed essentially about limiting immigration and said, “Everyone is focusing too much on this number of 10 million, when in practice its value is mainly symbolic.” Under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, any initiative that collects 100,000 signatures within a year and a half is brought to a public vote. While recent polls initially showed a surprising lead for supporters of the initiative, a reversal has emerged in recent days indicating that most voters are expected to reject it, but commentators stress that the numbers show the race is still open and the result is expected to be extremely close.