Swiss Voters Consider Plan To Cap Population at 10 Million for 24 Years

Polls show a closely divided public less than two weeks before Swiss voters must decide their future in an unprecedented referendum that would virtually halt population growth in the country for the next 24 years.Under the proposal to be voted on June 14, the Swiss population, now 9.1 million, would not be permitted to grow beyond 10 million before 2050. New population restrictions, mainly affecting immigration, would go into effect when the population hits 9.5 million.The measure was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which supports immigration limits and a “Switzerland First” platform. The party first proposed the measure in 2023 in what it billed as an effort to preserve the Swiss way of life.Switzerland has one of the largest proportions of foreign residents in Europe. The growing population is blamed for rising housing costs and strained public services.But the Swiss government and business groups say the measure would exacerbate a labor shortage in health care, agriculture, hospitality, and industry while leaving pension plans short of new contributors to finance the retirement of an aging population.Recent polls show the referendum could go either way. A survey by the Swiss polling institute LeeWas showed 52 percent of respondents support the plan. But another poll commissioned by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation indicates that 52 percent oppose it.Support for the proposal remains strong among members of the Swiss People’s Party but left-wing voters strongly oppose it. The fate of the measure will likely rest with centrist voters.If passed, the measure could force the government to take extreme steps, including blocking the free movement of people between the European Union and Switzerland in possible violation of agreements with the 27-member bloc. Critics also say that the proposal lacks a clear enforcement mechanism and methods of implementation.Economiesuisse — an umbrella group for the Swiss business sector — refers to the campaign as the “Chaos Initiative.” It warns: “The proposal has far-reaching, negative consequences for the economy.” A government report released in April showed that for the first time, there are more people aged 65 or over than under 20 in Switzerland. The report cited a fourth consecutive year of a declining fertility rate as a major long-term population issue.Economiesuisse research shows taxes paid by foreign workers are helping support the nation’s pension system as fewer Swiss workers enter the workforce.Switzerland is not contemplating the ban in a vacuum. It has watched as other European countries tighten immigration policies in response to the growing power of right-wing parties. There has been a tremendous backlash from the mass migration during the Syrian war that brought about 1 million refugees to Europe.The EU is overhauling its own migration policy and plans to increase deportations. It has agreed to build detention centers abroad to house deported migrants instead of returning them to their home countries. The policy is similar to tactics used by the Trump administration in America.Without immigration, all of Europe faces a graying population that will leave fewer workers paying taxes to support an older population. The increased tax burden on younger workers could exacerbate the problem by making it even less affordable to have children.

Swiss Voters Consider Plan To Cap Population at 10 Million for 24 Years

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