IMMIGRATION DEBATE:
Older voters and residents of major cities such as Zurich and Geneva were key in defeating a proposal to cap Switzerland’s population at 10 million
Reuters, ZURICH
Older voters and city dwellers were instrumental in defeating a right-wing proposal to cap Switzerland’s population at 10 million, data from Sunday’s referendum showed, as the government and business leaders expressed relief at the outcome.Following a close campaign that pitted fears of uncontrolled immigration against the threat of Swiss isolation in Europe, voters ultimately rejected the initiative by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. Championed by the Swiss People’s Party, the proposal that could have ended free movement of labor between Switzerland and the EU tapped into concerns that overcrowding is stretching public services, fueling crime and pushing up rents.
A sign sits in a field, on the day of the vote on a plan backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party to limit population growth to 10 million inhabitants, in Hundwil, Switzerland, on Sunday.
