Swiss voters have rejected a proposal that would have capped the country's population at 10 million people, according to preliminary results released Sunday.
A projection published by Swiss broadcaster SRF showed about 55 percent of voters opposed the measure, while roughly 45 percent supported it. The vote had been closely watched by businesses and political observers because of concerns it could affect Switzerland's relationship with the European Union.
The proposal was backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party and sought to prevent Switzerland's population from exceeding 10 million before 2050. Under the plan, if the population remained above that threshold for two consecutive years, Switzerland would have been required to end its freedom of movement agreement with the EU.
The referendum drew comparisons to Britain's 2016 Brexit vote because of its focus on immigration and its potential impact on ties with Europe. Switzerland's economy relies heavily on access to labor from neighboring countries, and opponents argued the measure could create disruptions for employers and public services.
Switzerland's population currently stands at about 9.1 million people. Foreign nationals account for nearly 28 percent of residents, and official projections estimate the population could reach 10 million sometime in the early 2040s.
Polling ahead of the vote suggested a narrow result, and Sunday's projection closely matched the final survey from polling firm GFS Bern, which had forecast the proposal would be defeated.
Urs Bieri of GFS Bern said voters appeared concerned about population growth but were unconvinced the proposal offered the right solution.
“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 labor market,” he said.
Bieri also pointed to concerns about workforce shortages and broader international uncertainty.
“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,” Bieri added.
The result means Switzerland's current freedom of movement arrangement with the EU will remain in place, and the country's population growth policies are unchanged for now.
A projection published by Swiss broadcaster SRF showed about 55 percent of voters opposed the measure, while roughly 45 percent supported it. The vote had been closely watched by businesses and political observers because of concerns it could affect Switzerland's relationship with the European Union.
The proposal was backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party and sought to prevent Switzerland's population from exceeding 10 million before 2050. Under the plan, if the population remained above that threshold for two consecutive years, Switzerland would have been required to end its freedom of movement agreement with the EU.
The referendum drew comparisons to Britain's 2016 Brexit vote because of its focus on immigration and its potential impact on ties with Europe. Switzerland's economy relies heavily on access to labor from neighboring countries, and opponents argued the measure could create disruptions for employers and public services.
Switzerland's population currently stands at about 9.1 million people. Foreign nationals account for nearly 28 percent of residents, and official projections estimate the population could reach 10 million sometime in the early 2040s.
Polling ahead of the vote suggested a narrow result, and Sunday's projection closely matched the final survey from polling firm GFS Bern, which had forecast the proposal would be defeated.
Urs Bieri of GFS Bern said voters appeared concerned about population growth but were unconvinced the proposal offered the right solution.
“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 labor market,” he said.
Bieri also pointed to concerns about workforce shortages and broader international uncertainty.
“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,” Bieri added.
The result means Switzerland's current freedom of movement arrangement with the EU will remain in place, and the country's population growth policies are unchanged for now.
