The country in Europe that wants to close its doors: referendum to limit population to 10 million and restrict immigration
A controversial proposal to cap Switzerland's population at 10 million is moving closer to becoming a reality, according to a poll showing growing support.
Flag of Switzerland Photo: Shuterstock
A growing number of citizens in Switzerland are declaring themselves in favor of a referendum initiative that proposes to cap the population at 10 million inhabitants, according to a recent poll cited by Reuters. The trend is upward, even if the federal authorities strongly reject this idea.
The project is supported by the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP), and is due to be voted on on June 14. The Swiss executive warns, however, that the adoption of such a measure could damage relations with the European Union and affect the economy, especially by limiting access to labor from abroad.
According to the survey carried out by the media group Tamedia, in collaboration with the publication “20 Minuten” and the Leewas Institute, 52% of the 16,176 participants support or tend to support the initiative, while 46% oppose it. The rest of the respondents did not express an opinion. The survey was conducted April 22–23 and has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.
By comparison, a similar poll in early March indicated lower support at 45 percent, while 47 percent of respondents said they were against. The development is considered atypical, in the context where, as a rule, support for referendum initiatives decreases as the voting day approaches.
According to the quoted source, Switzerland's population has now exceeded 9 million inhabitants, and foreign citizens will represent over 27% of the total by 2024, according to official data.
The initiative stipulates that the permanent resident population should not exceed the threshold of 10 million until 2050. At the same time, this would imply the abandonment of the agreement with the European Union on the free movement of persons.
At the same time, the Swiss parliament is debating an agreement signed at the end of 2024 with the EU, aimed at strengthening economic relations, after a difficult 2025 marked by the imposition of significant trade tariffs by the United States.
The SVP, Switzerland's largest political party, opposes a closer relationship with the European Union, arguing that it would endanger the country's sovereignty and bring an excess of regulation.
