Switzerland could artificially stop population growth this summer

Swiss voters will decide this year on a proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million, following a successful signature campaign by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP). 

The government has confirmed this week that the initiative has secured enough public backing through a petition to be put to a nationwide referendum on June 14, according to Swiss media reports.

The proposal seeks to amend Switzerland’s constitution by requiring authorities to act if the overall population — including both Swiss citizens and foreign residents — exceeds 9.5 million before 2050. In that case, the government would be obliged to introduce measures to curb further growth.

Those measures would include tightening rules on asylum, family reunification and the issuance of residence permits. The government would also "seek to renegotiate international agreements that drive population growth," under the proposal.

Switzerland, which is part of the Schengen Zone but not a member of the European Union, currently has a population of about 9.1 million people. Foreign nationals — most of them from EU countries — account for roughly 30% of residents.

Under the SVP’s plan, the federal government would be required "to take all available measures" to enforce the cap, including potentially terminating Switzerland’s free movement agreement with the EU if the 10-million threshold were crossed.

Public opinion appears divided, as a poll conducted by research institute LeeWas on behalf of two local newspapers found that 48% of respondents supported or leaned toward supporting the initiative, 41% opposed it and 11% remained undecided.

The measure faces opposition from the Federal Council, Switzerland’s collective head of state, as well as from most other political parties and business groups. Critics argue that without continued immigration, the country risks labour shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, public transport, hospitality and construction.

Voters will also cast ballots this summer on amendments to the Civilian Service Act, as parliament wants to raise the hurdles for transferring from the army to civilian service in order to ensure that the armed forces and civil protection services have more personnel available.

By Nazrin Sadigova