Swiss Voters Reject Population Limit Proposal

Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal to limit the country’s population to 10 million by 2050, according to the preliminary results of a divisive referendum billed by some as the country’s Brexit moment.

Around 54 percent of those who cast ballots voted against the initiative, with 25 of the country’s 26 canton regions reporting results.

The referendum was closely watched in Brussels. A “yes” vote would have set Switzerland on a collision course with the EU, jeopardizing the country’s free-movement agreement with the bloc. Sixty percent of Swiss goods are sold to the EU, but that trade depends on their mutual pact.

“Today, Swiss voters have sent a strong signal in favour of reliability, openness, and the continuation of the bilateral path,” said German lawmaker David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “Switzerland remains committed to its ties with Europe and ready to tackle challenges in a pragmatic and cooperative manner.”

The referendum was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which argued it would help relieve pressures on the country’s environment and public services. The party has a long history of campaigning against immigration.

The “no” campaign focused on how restricting immigration might impact sectors like health care, where foreign-born workers are overrepresented. It also highlighted the risks for Switzerland’s relations with the EU, and the hazards of isolation more broadly in an unstable geopolitical environment.

Switzerland currently has a population of 9.1 million, which is set to rise above 10 million in the early 2040s. Some 28 percent of the current Swiss population was born abroad.

The relatively narrow margin in the plebiscite — with 45 percent of the population voting in favor of the proposal on a turnout of 59 percent — will heap pressure on the government to take more concerted action to address the public backlash to immigration.