Swiss voters will head to the polls this summer to decide whether to impose a hard legal limit on the nation's population, a move that could fundamentally reshape the country’s relationship with the European Union and its own economic future.
The Swiss Federal Council confirmed Wednesday that the national referendum on the "No to a 10-million Switzerland" initiative will take place on June 14, 2026. The proposal, spearheaded by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), seeks to amend the federal constitution to ensure the permanent resident population does not exceed 10 million people before the year 2050.
Under the proposed "braking mechanism", the government would be legally required to take restrictive action once the population hits 9.5 million. These measures would include tightening asylum rules, curbing family reunifications for foreign residents, and ending the issuance of certain residency permits. If the population still reaches the 10-million threshold, the initiative mandates that Switzerland terminate international treaties that drive growth, specifically targeting the agreement on the free movement of persons with the European Union.
Switzerland’s population has grown rapidly in recent decades, rising from approximately 7 million in the mid-1990s to more than 9.1 million today. Proponents of the cap argue that this "population explosion" is the primary driver of the country’s current social and logistical pressures.
"We need effective and clear immigration rules," the SVP stated during the campaign launch, arguing that unchecked growth has led to "density stress", characterised by skyrocketing rents, overcrowded public transport, and strained infrastructure. The party has used the slogan "preserving what we love" to frame the initiative as an environmental and quality-of-life necessity.
The Swiss government and Parliament have formally recommended that citizens reject the initiative, warning of severe economic repercussions. Opponents argue that the Swiss economy is critically dependent on foreign labour, particularly in high-value sectors like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and technology.
Major business lobbies have been vocal in their opposition. The group Economiesuisse has labelled the proposal the "chaos initiative", warning that it could lead to a catastrophic labour shortage and the relocation of multinational giants such as Roche, Nestlé, and UBS.
"A cap would reimpose quotas and labour-market tests," warned a report by VisaHQ, noting that such a move would undermine Switzerland’s status as a premier European headquarters location. Furthermore, the "guillotine clause" within Swiss-EU relations means that terminating the free movement agreement could automatically trigger the collapse of dozens of other bilateral trade deals.