Political situation in Switzerland

Forecast: Switzerland says no to controversial bill

The polling stations in Switzerland have now closed and it is likely that the population will say no to the controversial bill on a population limit of 10 million people, writes Swissinfo. The vote count is still underway, but according to forecasts, the outcome looks like 55 percent for the no side, and 45 percent for the yes side.

The right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) has put forward the proposal. They accuse immigrants of being behind everything from housing shortages to overcrowding in hospitals in the country. But other government parties have called the whole thing a "chaotic proposal", which risks leading to a labor shortage and a worse relationship with the EU.

- A lot is at stake, Justice Minister Beat Jans told the newspaper La Tribune de Genève ahead of the referendum. 

Referendum on maximum ten million Swiss

Switzerland will hold a referendum on a population limit of 10 million by 2050 on Sunday, several media outlets report. Critics warn of a labor shortage and a deteriorating relationship with the EU.

The population has grown rapidly and more than a quarter are migrant workers without Swiss citizenship, the majority of them from EU countries, according to CNN. The proposal from the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party (SVP) is justified by accusations of "creeping Islamization" and accuses immigrants of being behind the housing shortage and the overcrowded schools, hospitals and buses.

- The proposal sells an illusion of a free lunch, but does not solve our problems with traffic and housing, says Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Economiesuisse, to The Guardian.

He warns of a labor shortage. Business organizations, the parties governing in coalition with the SVP and both chambers of parliament are against the proposal, according to the BBC.