Swiss voters have cast their final ballots on Sunday on a right-wing initiative aimed at capping the country’s population at 10 million, with early results indicating the proposal has been rejected.Preliminary figures released by the federal government showed nearly 53 per cent of voters opposed the measure, while nationwide turnout exceeded 57 per cent.
Results were still pending from several of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, as cited by AP.In Geneva, Switzerland’s second-largest city and a major centre for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations, early results showed around two-thirds of voters rejecting the measure.The initiative was backed by the populist Swiss People’s Party, which holds the most seats in parliament and has long campaigned on concerns over immigration, particularly the influx of workers from neighbouring European Union countries.Some have described the proposal as a “Swiss Brexit” because it could put at risk Switzerland’s close ties with the European Union, which are based on agreements supporting economic growth, cultural links and cross-border movement.
Switzerland is not an EU member state, but it is almost entirely surrounded by four EU countries.Switzerland’s population has risen by nearly a quarter over the past generation, while foreign nationals now account for close to one-third of the country’s total population.The right-wing party put forward the “sustainability initiative,” arguing that Switzerland’s infrastructure, housing, social services, natural resources and way of life have come under pressure from rapid population growth.The federal government, Parliament, and the business association EconomieSuisse have opposed the proposal.Swiss democracy allows citizens a direct role in policymaking through referendums, which are typically held four times a year.
