Swiss voters reject proposal to cap population at 10mn

{"text":[[{"start":6.85,"text":"Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to cap the country’s population at 10mn people, delivering a surprise defeat to a rightwing initiative that had appeared neck and neck in opinion polls until just days before the vote."}],[{"start":19.95,"text":"Projections on Sunday showed the initiative losing by roughly 54 per cent to 46 per cent, a significantly stronger result for opponents than suggested by recent polls, which had indicated a tight race in the final days of the campaign."}],[{"start":35.15,"text":"The proposal, backed by the rightwing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), would have made Switzerland the first country to impose a formal cap on its population. It sought to limit the number of residents to 10mn, from about 9.1mn today, and would have required the government to take measures to curb population growth once the population reached 9.5mn."}],[{"start":56.25,"text":"If the population subsequently exceeded 10mn, the government would have been obliged to adopt more far-reaching measures, potentially including ending free movement of people with the EU, a cornerstone of Switzerland’s bilateral relationship with the bloc."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":71.3,"text":"The result represents a victory for the Swiss government, business groups and trade unions, which had argued the initiative threatened economic growth and risked undermining Switzerland’s access to foreign labour at a time of acute demographic pressures."}],[{"start":85.05,"text":"“We are relieved,” said Vincent Subilia, president of the Swiss chamber of commerce and industry in Geneva. "}],[{"start":92.2,"text":"The “dishonest” campaign, led by the SVP, “pushed Switzerland to the limits of democracy” he said, adding: “It was a highly emotional campaign but good sense won out. It’s a positive signal for the Swiss economy but also encouraging for our relationship with the EU.”"}],[{"start":108.6,"text":"The initiative was decisively rejected in much of French-speaking Switzerland, including the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel and Vaud. Strong turnout against the proposal in the country’s larger urban centres helped offset support for it in many rural and German-speaking regions."}],[{"start":126.14999999999999,"text":"Business leaders had warned that the initiative would create uncertainty for investment and hiring decisions long before any population thresholds were reached. Economiesuisse, the country’s main business lobby, labelled it a “chaos initiative” and argued it would damage Switzerland’s competitiveness."}],[{"start":143.2,"text":"The outcome removes an immediate threat to Switzerland’s agreements with the EU and is likely to ease the path for the upcoming Bilaterals III package, which aims to modernise relations with the bloc."}],[{"start":155.64999999999998,"text":"European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the Swiss people had “spoken” and pledged to continue working with Bern to “modernise and deepen” co-operation between Switzerland and the EU."}],[{"start":167.34999999999997,"text":"The campaign had gained traction in some parts of the country by linking immigration to rising housing costs, strained transport networks and concerns that infrastructure was struggling to keep pace with population growth. Political analysts had described the campaign as one of the SVP’s most effective in years because it broadened the debate beyond immigration and framed the issue around quality of life and sustainability."}],[{"start":192.64999999999998,"text":"“The countryside has very clearly said ‘yes’, but the cities tipped the balance,” Marcel Dettling, president of the SVP, told public broadcaster SRF. He argued that concerns over housing, infrastructure and population growth would persist. “I urge those who are celebrating today to tackle these problems,” he said."}],[{"start":212.54999999999998,"text":"The outcome suggests that late-deciding voters sided with warnings about the economic and diplomatic consequences of the initiative."}],[{"start":220.2,"text":"“The challenges related to housing, infrastructure, and mobility remain a subject of political debate. However, with today’s decision, the electorate has made it clear that a rigid population cap is not the right answer,” said Stephan Mumenthaler, director of scienceindustries, the Swiss trade association representing the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical sectors. "}],[{"start":249.15,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781483237_3568.mp3"}