Time, April 2026
An unusual proposal to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million appears to be gaining ground, despite concerns that it could endanger the country’s economy and relationship with the European Union. The initiative, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), was rejected by the government last March. But it is gaining popularity among the public, who will vote on the proposal in a June 14 referendum: over half of Swiss respondents said they’re in favor of the proposal, according to a new opinion poll.
The survey of 16,176 respondents on April 22 and 23 showed that 52% were in favor of the proposal while 46% were against it. The remaining 2% of respondents were undecided. The poll, conducted by media group Tamedia, newspaper 20 Minuten and polling institute Leewas, was published in Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. The results suggest that support for the initiative has grown since early March, when an earlier poll showed 45% of respondents in favor of the proposal and 47% against. Tages-Anzeiger noted that Swiss referendum proposals typically lose support closer to the voting day.
