Switzerland, towards another referendum/Vote, to limit population to 10 million inhabitants
On June 14, Switzerland will vote to cap its population at 10 million. With the number already above 9.1 million, annual migration would need to be cut by at least half to avoid reaching that limit by 2050, as proposed in the initiative. That would affect businesses from manufacturers to banks to technology firms, which in recent decades have brought hundreds of thousands of people to the country to fill jobs.
Because Switzerland's high wages and quality of life make it attractive to foreign workers, right-wing activists say population growth is out of control. Voters are backing this up, too. Polls show the electorate is split down the middle, giving the proposal a real chance of passing.
Unlike anti-immigration campaigns seen in other European countries, the Swiss push is not just targeting asylum seekers and refugees. It will also, if necessary, bar highly paid bankers, scientists and engineers from entering the country.
The risk is not just a smaller workforce, but also a rift with the European Union, Switzerland’s biggest export market. The bloc’s principle of free movement underpins broader economic agreements that ensure Swiss firms have access to a $21 trillion economy and its 450 million consumers. Under the proposal to the public, Switzerland could ultimately be forced to end free movement agreements.
However, warnings of the long-term economic consequences seem to have a hard time reaching voters who see long lines for apartments, expensive rents and crowded trains affecting them now. The border seems to offer an easy solution, with a message that there is simply no more room for newcomers.
The ballot proposal says the population cannot exceed 10 million before 2050. Calculations based on demographic trends suggest that this means net migration cannot exceed about 30,000 a year. That is less than half the average over the past decade. Under the plan, the government would have to start restricting immigration once the population reaches 9.5 million, which could happen in just four years.
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