{"id":777,"date":"2026-06-14T16:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T16:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=777"},"modified":"2026-06-14T16:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T16:11:27","slug":"swiss-voters-reject-right-wings-bid-to-cap-population-at-10-million-early-results-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=777","title":{"rendered":"Swiss voters reject right-wing\u2019s bid to cap population at 10 million, early results show"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GENEVA (AP) \u2014 Nearly 55% of voters in Switzerland on Sunday rejected an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country\u2019s population at 10 million<\/span>, early results showed. <\/p>\n

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The populist Swiss People\u2019s Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighboring European Union. <\/p>\n

Some have dubbed the proposal a \u201cSwiss Brexit\u201d because it could jeopardize Switzerland\u2019s deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU\u2019s 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them<\/p>\n

Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest.<\/p>\n

Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 55% of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide turnout almost 59%. Results were still pending from many of Switzerland\u2019s 26 cantons.<\/p>\n

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Right-wing party says Swiss way of life strained by growing population<\/h2>\n

The number of people living in Switzerland has soared by nearly one-quarter over the last generation, and foreigners today make up nearly one-third of the population.<\/p>\n

Critics say the boom in migration has brought foreign labor and skills to sectors such as healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology.<\/p>\n

The right-wing party put forward the \u201csustainability initiative\u201d measure, saying Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programs, natural resources and way of life have been strained by the spike in demographic growth.<\/p>\n

The federal government, Parliament and EconomieSuisse, a major business association, oppose the idea.<\/p>\n

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In Geneva, Switzerland\u2019s second-largest city and a hub of U.N. institutions and humanitarian groups, early results showed about two-thirds of voters in the region opposed the measure. <\/p>\n

Maria Lalu, a former diplomatic mission worker from the Philippines who arrived in Switzerland in the early 1980s, said she supported the proposal. \u201cI have nothing against immigration. I also am a stranger,\u201d she said after casting her vote, adding that she wants immigration to be more orderly.<\/p>\n

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Schoolteacher Natascha Robert said she voted against the bid, expressing concern that approval could hurt Switzerland\u2019s relationship with the EU. She also said Switzerland\u2019s growing diversity is an asset. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think people always have something to bring us,\u201d she said outside a polling station in the central Paquis neighborhood, emphasizing that she was born in Switzerland to two Swiss parents. \u201cDoes that mean that we have more foreigners, I feel less Swiss? Really, not.\u201d<\/p>\n

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