Many are already tired of the influx of migrants.
Swiss voters may establish a maximum population limit of 10 million for the country in a referendum in June, and that’s it! This is reported by swissinfo.ch, citing Bloomberg agency.
According to this proposal, supported by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), a nationwide vote will take place after supporters gather enough signatures under the Swiss system of direct democracy.
Both the government and parliament oppose the so-called "sustainability initiative" to limit the population, largely restricting the influx of immigrants once the 10 million mark is reached. Nevertheless, the initiative has the support of about 48% of voters, according to a survey in December. The vote will take place on June 14, the government announced on Wednesday.
Switzerland's population has grown by about 70% since 1960 to 9.1 million, primarily due to demand for labor and high wages, as well as a high quality of life. Campaigners for population limitation argue that uncontrolled immigration has led to strain on infrastructure and a shortage of housing.
However, this initiative is quite risky as it will affect the pact between Switzerland and the EU on the free movement of labor and capital. It could cut companies off from talent abroad—which many consider necessary—and also jeopardize other related agreements that provide Swiss exporters access to the EU's single market.
The strong support for the initiative, according to sociologists, reflects both economic frustration, especially regarding housing and other expenses, and anti-immigrant sentiments in the country.
"GDP per capita has not increased in the last three years, and real wages have decreased," said Stefan Legge, a professor at the University of St. Gallen. "Quite a few people are worse off now than they were three years ago. And then they look for someone to blame."
