Switzerland rejects a cap on its population in a referendum | World News

Switzerland has rejected a cap on the country’s population when the proposal was put to the vote in a nationwide referendum.

Voters in the country cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative to limit its population at 10 million.

It was the first country in the world to vote on the matter.

When the result was announced, just over 45% of voters supported the move, and just under 55% voted against.

The Swiss People’s Party, or SVP, which has the most seats in parliament, had put forward the “sustainability initiative” after arguing Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life had been strained by demographic growth.

It mirrored the SVP’s anti-migration sentiment in recent years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighbouring European Union.

But critics claimed the move would have weakened ties with the EU, Switzerland’s top trading partner.

They argued the boom in migration had brought foreign labour and skills to sectors including healthcare and finance.

Urs Bieri, of polling firm GFS Bern, said the cap also failed to pass because of a feeling that it was “not sensible for a small country to do this” in the current international environment.

The country’s justice minister, Beat Jans, welcomed the result, but pledged to analyse what further steps could be taken to ease concerns over housing and immigration.

“With today’s decision, the electorate has sent out a signal of stability, openness, and reliability,” Mr Jans said in a press conference alongside Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Switzerland’s government had urged voters to reject the cap.

‘It fuels xenophobia’

The country’s population stands at 9.1 million, with foreigners making up nearly 28% of the total population.

Official projections forecast it will reach 10 million by the early 2040s.

Zurich schoolteacher Jan Hesselmann told Reuters he was happy with the result, but concerned by the support the proposal got, which was closer than many analysts had expected.

“It’s the wrong way to go about it, it fuels xenophobia,” he said.

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The proposal sits alongside growing support for policies aimed at curbing immigration across Europe.

Campaign posters were seen saying only 10% of incomers were needed skilled workers, and that asylum seekers were more likely to be rapists.

SVP president Marcel Dettling says the initiative had been very popular in rural parts of the country, but urban voters defeated it.

“Not a single problem has been solved,” he said. “We will continue to push for sensible immigration.”

‘The genie is out of the bottle’

Business groups welcomed the result after warning a cap would limit access to foreign workers, damage the economy and sour relations with Brussels.

Business association Economiesuisse has since urged the government to use the referendum to ratify a deal struck with the EU to deepen bilateral economic ties.

Opponents had also called the proposal a recipe for chaos because of the potential upheavals, and questioned if the move was wise after Donald Trump hit Switzerland with heavy tariffs.

Green Party federal lawmaker Sibel Arslan said while the result showed Switzerland remained committed to working with European neighbours, the issue is unlikely to go away.

“The damage is done,” she said.

“This has legitimised talk about capping the population. The genie is out of the bottle.”

Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums, typically held every five years.