Switzerland to vote on capping population at 10 million

Switzerland will hold a referendum on whether to cap the country’s population at 10 million.

The “No to 10 million Switzerland” initiative was put forward by the right-wing, anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party (SVP).

The proposal has received enough signatures to be put to a vote, the government said on Wednesday, and it will go to the ballot box on June 14.

Switzerland is home to around 9.1 million people. People from abroad, mostly from European Union countries, are believed to be around 30% of the population.

Switzerland-EU free movement deal could also be on the line

The proposal seeks to change Switzerland’s constitution so that if the population — including both Swiss citizens and foreign nationals with residency papers — reaches 9.5 million before 2050, the government must take steps to limit population growth.

These steps would include changes regarding asylum rights, family reunification and residency permit issuance.

The Swiss government would also “seek to renegotiate international agreements that drive population growth,” under the proposal.

And if the 10-million threshold is crossed, authorities would be required “to take all available measures” to comply with the population limit, including terminating Switzerland’s free movement agreement with the EU.

How popular is the proposal?

A November poll by research institute LeeWas on behalf ​of two newspapers found 48% of respondents were in favor or inclined to be in favor of the measure, with 41% against it and 11% undecided.

However, the move is opposed by the Switzerland’s collective head of state, known as the Federal Council, as well as most political parties and business associations.

They argue that without migration, Switzerland would face labor shortages in healthcare, public transport, hospitality and construction.

The Economisuisse business association has even called the proposal “the chaos initiative”.

“Our country will ⁠continue to ​depend on labor migration in the future,” the group said in a joint paper with the Swiss Employers ​Association, predicting that without foreign workers, companies would relocate abroad.

Direct democracy in Switzerland

Switzerland holds referendums four times a year. The country follows a style of direct democracy that allows any proposal backed by at least 100,000 signatures to be put to a vote as a “popular initiative.”

But only around 1 in 10 of these referendums succeed.

The populist SVP is the largest party in Switzerland’s parliament. It has long been accused of stoking xenophobic and racist sentiments, and has itself violated Switzerland’s anti-racism laws in the past.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic