In exactly one month, on June 14, Swiss citizens vote on the initiative "Pas de Suisse à 10 millions!", promoted by the UDC. The text calls on the Confederation to adopt measures so that the population does not exceed 10 million inhabitants by 2050, with mandatory restrictions activated from 9.5 million. Switzerland has about 9.1 million residents right now, which means the activation threshold isn't that far off. The first SSR surveys show a technical tie: 47% in favor, 47% against. The Federal Council, all parties except the UDC and UDF, trade unions and economic organisations reject the initiative. Rarely do you see such a broad opposition front. And yet the polls are even.
What the text of the initiative does not say explicitly, but is implicit in its logic, is that in order to meet the population ceiling, net immigration would have to be drastically reduced. And to do so legally with the EU, Switzerland would have to revise the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (ALCP). That agreement is the one that allows European citizens, including Spaniards, to live and work in Switzerland without needing prior authorization. Without it, the right of automatic residence that we take for granted today would disappear. The initiators of the initiative acknowledge that the ALCP would need to be revised. The word “renegotiate” appears in campaign documents with a naturalness that should draw attention.
The key to this vote, according to analysts, is in the center-right voters, especially the PLR. The left almost unanimously rejects the initiative; the UDC electorate supports it with the same conviction. The result is decided by the undecided of the center. What is hard to ignore is that there are 2.5 million foreigners living in Switzerland, and this vote affects us directly, but we cannot participate in it. Switzerland decides on the future of those who live here without asking them. This is how direct democracy works: very direct, yes, but not for everyone equally.