Swiss People Reject Proposal to Limit Population to 10 Million People

Swiss people reject the proposal to limit the country's population to 10 million people, according to the official results of the referendum published by the Swiss Federal Council.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, June 15, the proposal to limit the population was rejected by 54.79 percent of voters, while 45.21 percent of voters supported it. The number of voter participation was at 58.86 percent.

The proposal, backed by the right-leaning Swiss People's Party, would cap the Swiss population at 10 million by 2050.

The provisional official final result showed that the proposal was strongly rejected in French-speaking areas, with the number of votes against exceeding 60 percent in a number of cantons such as Geneva, Vaud, Neuchatel, and Jura.

Supporters of the proposal say rapid population growth is putting pressure on housing systems, transport networks and public services, making it necessary to impose strict restrictions on migration.

Before the referendum, the Federal Council and the Swiss parliament advised the public to reject the proposal, considering that migration is still necessary to overcome labor shortages as well as to support the national economy and social security.

The Swiss government also warned that restrictions on residents would force Switzerland to end an agreement on the freedom of movement of people with the European Union, which could have an impact on bilateral relations more broadly.

The current population of Switzerland reaches 9.1 million people.

However, in the same referendum, Swiss voters approved a proposal to amend the Federal Civil Service Act, as recommended by the Swiss government and parliament to limit the number of people who switch from military service to civil service.

The change was supported by 52.46 percent of voters and rejected only by the other 47.54 percent, with voter participation reaching 58.26 percent.

The rejection of the proposal took place in the offices of Geneva, Vaud, Neuchatel, Jura, Basel-Stadt, and Zurich, where the number of votes against exceeded the number of votes in support.

Supporters of the change highlighted the importance of keeping military service members in the midst of concerns about the security situation in Europe. Meanwhile, opponents of the proposal are concerned that the civil service will be increasingly difficult to reach if the change occurs.