With 55% voting against it and 45% in favor, and turnout close to 60%, Swiss citizens on Sunday rejected the proposal by the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party (SVP) to enshrine a population cap of 10 million in the constitution.
Switzerland’s population has increased by 25% since 2002, from 7.3 million, and now stands at 9.1 million, with 27% of residents not holding Swiss citizenship. The Swiss People’s Party attributed increased pressure on the healthcare system, transport, the housing market and the environment to this growth.
Switzerland’s population is 9.1 million, up from 7.3 million in 2002, with around 27% of residents not holding Swiss citizenship.
The government and most major parties opposed the cap, as approval of the proposal would have forced Switzerland to terminate its agreement on the free movement of persons with the EU, on which its access to the European market depends. More than 50% of Swiss exports are absorbed by that market. At the same time, business sectors such as tourism, hospitals and nursing homes are structurally dependent on workers of migrant origin.
In cities, where migrant communities are larger than in rural areas, the proposal was rejected by wide margins — for example, by 84% in Bern. Key tourist cantons, such as Graubünden, where St. Moritz is located, also voted against it, as hotels and restaurants rely on foreign labor.
Source: BBC
What is fyi.news?
