Swiss voters will have their say on June 14th on a proposal entitled “No to a Switzerland of 10 million residents”, championed by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the country’s biggest party.
The SVP, which has its roots in rural politics, is opposed to the EU, mass immigration and any weakening of Swiss neutrality.
The government said the popular initiative “endangers Switzerland’s prosperity, internal security and humanitarian tradition”.
“It calls into question the proven bilateral path with the EU and creates additional uncertainty in an already uncertain time,” it said in a statement.
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Switzerland’s population has now passed nine million. The initiative says the Alpine nation’s permanent resident population must not exceed 10 million people before the year 2050.
If it does, Switzerland would have to terminate international agreements blamed for driving population growth.
From 2050 onwards, the government can adjust the limit to account for the surplus of births over deaths, according to the proposal.
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The government said the proposal would have “far-reaching consequences”, up to and including the free movement of people agreement with the EU.
“The initiative would have a negative impact on relations with the EU. The initiative would thus call into question the bilateral path as a whole,” it said.
EU agreements package
Landlocked Switzerland is not in the EU but is almost entirely surrounded by bloc members Germany, France, Italy and Austria, and is a member of Europe’s Schengen open-borders zone.
Earlier this month, Bern and Brussels signed a package of agreements to deepen and streamline ties in a host of areas, including on the free movement of people, trade and transport.
The government noted Monday that the package has a specific safeguard clause, under which Switzerland can restrict immigration in the event of serious social or economic problems.
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But that package will have to clear the Swiss parliament, with a referendum ultimately expected in 2027.
The Federal Statistical Office currently estimates the Swiss population at nearly 9.14 million — up from 9.05 million at the end of 2024, when 27 percent were foreign nationals.
Net migration is by far a bigger driver of population growth than natural change, according to FSO figures.
Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, citizens can trigger popular votes by collecting 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months.
“Uncontrolled immigration… is overwhelming our infrastructure, destroying our environment, and driving rents even higher,” says the SVP, insisting “action must finally be taken”.
Switzerland’s seven-member government contains two SVP ministers — including President Guy Parmelin — but adopts its positions collectively.
