The vote beneath the vote

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NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour.

This week, voters in Switzerland rejected a formal proposal to cap the population.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: But the issues that led to the idea remain. 

WORLD’s Global Desk Chief Jenny Lind Schmitt brings us this report.

JENNY LIND SCHMITT: On Sunday, Swiss voters rejected capping the country’s population at 10 million people. 

Politicians and business leaders on the left and the right reacted with relief, and EU president Ursula von der Leyen heralded the vote as a promise to continue cooperation between Switzerland and the EU.

AUDIO: Referendum

The conservative Swiss People’s Party sponsored the referendum in an attempt to address what has become a top issue: managing immigration. And it got a lot of attention because it was the first time any country has considered a firm population limit.

Switzerland currently has just over 9 million people, and a birthrate of just 1.29 children per woman, well below replacement level.

This is Marcel Dettling, president of the Swiss People’s Party, reacting to the defeat.

DETTLING: [Speaking French]

Since Switzerland signed a Freedom of Movement agreement with the European Union nearly 25 years ago, the population has grown steadily through immigration.

In 2014, one in five Swiss residents was born outside the country. But today, that number is one in three. That’s more than double the figure for the United States.

But half the country is uninhabitable because of mountainous terrain, leaving it with one of the highest population densities in Europe.

Most of the population lives on the Middle Plateau, and people there say the rapid rise in immigration has put a strain on housing, infrastructure, and the social fabric.

Others said the referendum was an attempt to avoid solving real problems.

SCHNEBLI [FRENCH]: Foreigners are the scapegoats for all social or infrastructure problems in Switzerland.

This man says that foreigners have become scapegoats for all the problems in Switzerland, to avoid talking about wealth inequality.

Both proponents of the referendum and even many of its opponents say it brought attention to issues that need solving. Many who voted 'no' agree there are real problems, but say there are better fixes than a population cap.

The vote was split, with 45% voting for the cap.

VOLET: [FRENCH] Il serait un erreur d’ignorer les divisions exacerbées que ce non net cache.

That’s Pierre-Olivier Volet, editor in chief of Swiss Radio and Television. He says the vote revealed big divisions between urban and rural areas.

VOLET: [FRENCH] Il ne faut pas oublier que la Suisse ca reste un équilibre fragile. La cohésion c’est la clé. Entre les régions linguistiques, on a compris depuis longtemps. Entre les villes et les campagnes ca doit devenir une priorité.

VOICEOVER: We can’t forget that Switzerland remains a delicate balance. Cohesion is the key. We’ve understood that for a long time about our different linguistic regions. Now between the cities and countryside, that must become a priority.

Business leaders said a migration cap would destabilize the economy. Because of its small size and proximity to other countries, Switzerland has had a historical openness to foreign residents.

More than 400,000 employees commute into the country every day, to fill jobs where there are not enough Swiss workers available.

Some observers called this Switzerland’s “Brexit moment” as a 'Yes' vote could have forced the country out of its treaties with the EU once the population rose to 9.5 million. 

For now, that threat has receded. But proponents say it’s important for the conversation to continue.

Andre Tapernoux is a local politician in a suburb of Zurich. In his lifetime, the population has grown from 6 to 9 million. Tapernoux says it’s disconcerting when so many people don’t speak the local language and he has to switch to English to be understood.

TAPERNOUX: In my view it is fair to question whether this is sustainable. It is also not unquestioned to ask the government to manage immigration in order to protect the people and our standard of living.

He was relieved that the referendum didn’t pass. He said it would have damaged relations with neighboring countries. But there is still work to be done.

TAPERNOUX: As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers among those with different opinions. On Monday evening, after the vote, I met with people involved in local politics from all parties. If we, as Christians, do not listen, no one will listen to us.

That’s this week’s World Tour. I’m Jenny Lind Schmitt, in Porrentruy, Switzerland.

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