The hard-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) suffered a major setback on June 14th, when its bid to stop population growth by limiting immigration was rejected at the ballot box. But the party already has other initiatives lined up.
After the failure of its ‘No to 10 million’ initiative, the populist party is turning its attention to other issues on its agenda.
Currently, there are four which it wants to bring to the ballot box:
‘Neutrality’ initiative
The national vote on September 27th will bring an end to a long-running debate on whether Switzerland should remain neutral – despite the mounting geopolitical tensions.
In March 2024, the sovereigntist organisation Pro Schweiz – an offshoot of the SVP – has collected more than enough signatures to launch a vote aimed at better anchoring Swiss neutrality (and hence non-participation in international alliances such as NATO) in the country’s Constitution.
It also wants to ban the government from imposing all the EU sanctions on other nations.
READ MORE: The future of Swiss neutrality to be decided at the ballot box
New agreements with the European Union
The new package of treaties, the so-called ‘Bilateral III’, will be put to a referendum, likely sometime in 2027.
The SVP is, however, sounding the alarm about the potentially disastrous consequences for Switzerland if the treaties are ratified.
Their main argument is that if the agreements come into force, Switzerland will lose its sovereignty and will, for all intents and purposes, become Brussels’ lackey.
For this reason, they are calling the package “a treaty of submission,” arguing that Switzerland will lose much and gain nothing (except problems) if the pact goes into effect.
READ MORE: Will the new EU treaty really harm Switzerland?
Border Protection initiative
The SVP has long complained about Switzerland’s lax policies in regard to people seeking political asylum.
Claiming that tens of thousands of asylum seekers in Switzerland “are connected to criminal gangs” and commit “violent and sexual offences, burglaries, and thefts,” the SVP wants the Federal Council to introduce stricter and more systematic controls at Swiss borders.
The goal of this measure would be to stem the influx of “abusive’ asylum seekers into the country.
It is not known when this initiative will come to the ballot box.
Electricity initiative
This move may not sound as controversial as the SVP’s other proposals – and it is, in fact, much ‘milder’ than its usual initiatives.
It calls for ‘electricity sovereignty’ – that is, for a “secure, independent, and environmentally and climate-friendly electricity supply.”
Right now, the country’s grid is connected to the European network, and Switzerland relies on the EU for some of its electricity needs, and the SVP wants to put an end to this dependence.
