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Members of the left-wing Social Democratic Party on Sunday celebrated early projections that showed Swiss voters have said “no” to the initiative to cap the population at ten million.
Keystone / Anthony Anex
Swiss citizens have rejected by a 55% majority the right-wing Swiss People’s Party proposal to limit the population to ten million, final results of Sunday’s polls show. The civilian service reform, for its part, has passed.
Final results published by research institute gfs.bern indicate voters have rejected the “No to ten million” immigration initiative by a 54.8% majority, compared to 45.2% who approved it. Meanwhile, a legislative reform designed to make civilian service less attractive passed with 52.5% of the vote.
Turnout was 58%, which is high compared to previous votes.
French-speaking Switzerland voted for a decisive rejection of the population cap initiative, said Lukas Golder, an analyst at gfs.bern. In canton Neuchatel, 67.3% of voters said “no” to the initiative, while the figure was 65.4% in Geneva and 64.5% in Vaud. That said, the rejection was most resounding in German-speaking Basel-City, with 73.5%. By contrast, the small rural canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes in northeastern Switzerland voted “yes” by a 65.9% majority.
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June 14 votes: results from across Switzerland
“The countryside has very clearly said ‘yes’, but the cities tipped the balance,” People’s Party president Marcel Dettling told Swiss public radio SRF. Sunday’s result aside, he said the country’s problems would persist. “I urge those who are celebrating today to tackle these problems,” he said.
Voters safeguarding relations with EU
The immigration initiative, which dominated public debate during the campaign, called for Switzerland to limit its population to ten million in response to growing pressure on the nation’s infrastructure. The People’s Party claimed that overcrowded trains, congested roads and a tight housing market could all be attributed to “uncontrolled” immigration.
The population currently sits at 9.1 million, having grown by 23% since the agreement on free movement with the European Union came into force in 2002. Under the initiative, Switzerland would have been forced to adopt certain measures if the population reached 9.5 million before 2050. This would have ultimately included ending free movement with the EU, the government had argued during campaigning – although the People’s Party had countered this was to be a last resort.
>>Learn more about the “No to ten million” immigration initiative.
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‘No to ten million’ vote – should Switzerland cap its population?
On Sunday, Justice Minister Beat Jans welcomed the outcome, telling the media: “With its decision, the public has sent a message of stability, openness and reliability.”
Cédric Wermuth, co-president of the left-wing Social Democratic Party, told Swiss public radio SRF a majority of the Swiss population had had enough of the People’s Party’s “scapegoat politics”. He also attributed voters’ rejection of the population cap to a wish to safeguard relations with the EU, Switzerland’s largest trading partner and a primary source of skilled labour thanks to free movement.
The president of Swiss business federation economiesuisse, Monika Rühl, echoed Wermuth, calling Sunday’s result a significant outcome for Swiss-EU relations and for businesses that rely on EU workers.
In a sign that the vote was being closely watched outside the country, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: “The Swiss people have spoken. The EU and Switzerland share deep ties and a strong partnership. We will continue working together to modernise and deepen our cooperation”.
Centre Party president Matthias Bregy said the vote had opened a debate on how to manage population growth, which in Switzerland has outpaced that of neighbouring countries. “Growth is a real problem,” he told Swiss public radio RTS. “People who live in cities or who use the train know this all too well.” The People’s Party’s proposed solutions under the population cap initiative, however, were flawed, he said.
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Twenty initiatives in 60 years: Switzerland’s relentless immigration debate
The “No to ten million” proposal is the latest in a line of popular initiatives put forth by the People’s Party under the country’s direct democracy system to restrict immigration. In 2014, voters narrowly backed its “mass immigration” initiative, but the party argues it was not properly implemented.
Support for Swiss army ‘in difficult times’
On Sunday, Swiss voters also backed tighter rules on civilian service, with 53% approving a legal reform that makes it harder to opt out of military service. The changes to the Federal Civilian Service ActExternal link, which had been challenged by referendum, aim to curb the number wanting to do civilian – rather than military – service.
The proposal was rejected by most of the 26 cantons, with the exceptions of voters in cantons Vaud, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Jura in western Switzerland and Zurich.
The new rules introduce stricter conditions for those wanting to do civilian service, including a minimum of 150 service days, reduced flexibility, and mandatory refresher courses. The goal is to cut annual admissions from around 7,200 to 4,000 and reinforce army staffing at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“In smaller, more conservative cantons, the vote result is very clear,” said Golder of gfs.bern, calling the outcome a sign that voters want to strengthen the army “in difficult times”.
Supporters argued civilian service had become too attractive and strayed from its original purpose as an alternative for conscientious objectors.
“We are in a particular context with a lot of insecurity. We need to refocus our efforts to ensure this security,” said Swiss People’s Party lawmaker Nicolas Kolly. “Military service is compulsory – these are necessary obligations for the country.”
Opponents may challenge further restrictions
Sunday’s vote had been triggered by a referendum under the banner “Save Civilian Service”, led mainly by the left-wing Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Protestant Party.
>>Read more about the referendum against the civilian service reform.
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Swiss voters to decide on stricter rules for conscientious objection
Opponents had warned the reform would worsen staff shortages in sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture, and would do little to boost the army itself.
Despite the setback, backers of the referendum say civilian service remains widely valued. The Young Greens pointed to the close result as evidence of broad public support, and campaigners signalled they may resist further restrictions.
“Civil service remains an institution recognised and valued by the Swiss population, particularly because it contributes to the country’s security,” said Sheldon Masseraz, co-chair of the Young Greens.
Clarence Chollet, a Green Party member and head of the Swiss Federation for Civil Service, warned that the broader goal on the right is to dismantle the system. “This includes reintroducing the conscience test and merging it with civil protection – steps that concern us far more,” she said.
The issue drew limited attention during the campaign, overshadowed by the “No to ten million” immigration initiative. According to the Swiss Political Yearbook, only 2% of media coverage focused on civilian service.
Swiss citizens go to the polls up to four times a year, but not everyone living in Switzerland can vote on June 14. Only Swiss citizens over the age of 18 and not under guardianship are eligible to vote on national issues.
Voters can have their say either by postal ballot or in person at the ballot box. Those living abroad must register. A total of around 5.6 million people can vote – just under two-thirds of the country’s population of around nine million.
People living in Switzerland who do not have Swiss nationality cannot vote, despite making up about a quarter of the population.
Around half of eligible voters usually cast ballots. Over the past ten years, the annual average voter turnout has been between 41% and 57%, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In practice, this means it takes less than 1.5 million votes to win.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg
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