International Desk: Swiss voters are taking part in two important and controversial referendums on Sunday. One is a proposal to control immigration to keep the country’s population down and the other is a proposal to tighten the possibility of joining the civilian service as an alternative to military service.
Opinion polls have shown that both votes, held under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, are likely to be closely contested.
AFP reports.
Polls will be open for a few hours on Sunday morning and will close at 12:00 noon (1000 GMT). However, most voters have already cast their votes by post. The first results are expected in the afternoon.
The far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has proposed a “Switzerland with 10 million people” initiative, which has sparked intense debate and tension across the country.
According to the proposal, Switzerland, which currently has a population of about 9.1 million, cannot exceed 10 million before 2050. Necessary steps must be taken to achieve this goal.
More than a quarter of the total population in Switzerland is currently foreign nationals. As a result, if the proposal is passed, strict controls will be imposed on immigration.
The country’s largest political party, the SVP, claims that excessive immigration is causing various problems, including a housing crisis, rising rents, overcrowding on trains and traffic jams.
“Switzerland is a small country, it is not possible to increase its size. We do not want to welcome the whole of Europe here.”
However, critics say the proposal, if approved, could have a negative impact on the economy and Switzerland’s relations with the European Union.
“This is a very important vote,” Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans told the Tribune de Genève newspaper. “The stakes are very high,” he warned, warning that the outcome of the referendum could create a “Brexit”-like situation for Switzerland.
The government, parliament and various sectors of the economy have already opposed the proposal.
Recent polls have shown opponents of the proposal with a slight lead. But for it to pass, it would need not only a majority of votes, but also the support of at least half of the country’s 26 cantons.
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