The Choice Before Voters
Championed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the proposal stipulated that the population must not exceed 10 million before 2050. If it remained above that threshold for two years, Switzerland would have to end freedom of movement with the EU.
The government had urged voters to reject the cap. Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans welcomed the result but pledged to analyze what further steps could be taken to address concerns about housing and immigration.
“With today’s decision, the electorate has sent out a signal of stability, openness and reliability”, Jans told a press conference alongside Swiss President Guy Parmelin.
Urs Bieri of pollster GFS Bern said the measure had failed because, although concern about population growth was widespread, voters feared that it could damage Switzerland’s relations with the EU and make it harder to recruit staff and find workers such as caregivers.
“Also there’s a feeling that in the current international environment, it’s not sensible for a small country to do this”, Bieri said.
Foreign Residents Make Up 28% of the Population
Switzerland’s population already stands at 9.1 million and has grown far faster than populations in neighboring EU countries. Foreign residents account for nearly 28% of the total, and official projections suggest that the population will reach 10 million by the early 2040s.
Zurich schoolteacher Jan Hesselmann, 27, was pleased with the result but concerned by the backing the initiative had received.
“It’s the wrong way to go about it, it fuels xenophobia”, he said.
The proposal reflected growing support across Europe for policies aimed at curbing immigration. Campaign material claimed that only 10% of immigrants worked in sectors facing labor shortages and cited crime statistics suggesting that asylum seekers were 11 times more likely than Swiss nationals to commit rape.
Turnout was about 59%, well above the recent average of 48% for Swiss referendums.
Marcel Dettling, president of the Swiss People’s Party, said the initiative had proved very popular in rural areas but had ultimately been defeated by urban voters.
“Not a single problem has been solved”, he said. “We will continue to push for sensible immigration.”
Immigration Debate Far from Over
Business groups welcomed the outcome after warning that a population ceiling would restrict access to foreign workers, damage the economy and sour relations with Brussels.
Business association economiesuisse urged Switzerland to build on the result by ratifying a deal struck with Brussels in late 2024 to deepen bilateral economic ties.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels and Bern would continue working together for the benefit of their citizens and businesses.
Opponents had described the population cap as a recipe for chaos because of the upheaval it could cause.
They also questioned whether it was wise to clash with Brussels after a bruising 2025, when President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on Swiss goods than on those of any other European country.
The “no” campaign ran posters featuring an image of a smiling Trump and the caption: “Breaking with Europe, now of all times?”
Sibel Arslan, a Green Party federal lawmaker, said the result showed that Switzerland remained committed to working with its European neighbors. However, she warned that a taboo had been broken and that the issue was likely to resurface.
“The damage is done”, she said. “This has legitimized talk about capping the population. The genie is out of the bottle.”
(reuters, im)
