Switzerland will soon decide whether there should be a hard ceiling on how many people can live there. Voters on June 14 will weigh a proposal from the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP) to cap the permanent population at 10 million until 2050—a move critics warn could upend relations with the European Union and damage the economy. The current population is 9.1 million, per the Guardian. The initiative would trigger action once the population hits 9.5 million, including blocking most new arrivals, from asylum seekers to family members of foreign residents. If the 10 million mark is reached and numbers don't fall, the government would be forced to abandon its free-movement deal with the EU, Switzerland's biggest export market.
The SVP, the country's largest party and a longtime force against immigration, argues that rapid growth—Switzerland has expanded about five times faster than neighboring EU states over the past decade—is pushing up rents and overloading infrastructure; roughly 27% of residents are foreign nationals. Business heavyweights including Roche, UBS, Nestlé, and the main industry lobby Economiesuisse warn the plan would trigger "chaos," deprive firms of needed EU workers, and potentially drive companies abroad. Though Parliament previously voted down the initiative, the referendum comes after more than 100,000 citizens signed a petition in support of a vote, per the New York Times. A December poll found 48% of voters in favor, with 41% opposed.
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