On 14 June, the Swiss people rejected, by 54.8%, the SVP’s initiative to limit the country’s population to 10 million by 2050. In practice, this would have meant massive restrictions on immigration and, ultimately, the termination of the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the European Union. For all of us living here on European permits, the consequences could have been significant.
The ‘no’ vote was clear in French-speaking Switzerland: Neuchâtel rejected the proposal by 67%, while Vaud and Geneva did so by over 60%. In German-speaking Switzerland, the result was more divided, with the cantons of Uri and Glarus voting in favour of the proposal by around 60%. Ticino appears to have accepted the initiative. The fact that not all Swiss people think the same way about immigration is nothing new, but yesterday’s figures confirmed this quite clearly.
The Federal Council said it was relieved. So was Economiesuisse. But the president of Economiesuisse made a point worth remembering: that the 45% who voted ‘yes’ represent a ‘yellow card’ that cannot be ignored, and that solutions must be found to the problems people associate with immigration, such as pressure on housing, transport and public services.
The bottom line is that almost one in two voters wanted to impose binding limits on immigration. That doesn’t go away with yesterday’s result. The debate on immigration in Switzerland is not over; it has simply taken a new turn. For those of us here, keeping a close eye on what is being voted on is part of understanding the country in which we live.