A bitterly disputed rightwing proposal to curb immigration goes before voters on Sunday. Supporters say quotas are needed to halt an «excessive influx» of foreigners, but the government and business leaders warn Switzerland’s economic prosperity is at stake.
Opinion polls indicate a high turnout – about 50% – and experts say many citizens may use the vote to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s policy towards the European Union, particularly a bilateral accord on the free movement of people.
The initiative by the Swiss People’s Party, known for its anti-foreigner and anti-EU agenda, seeks to tighten immigration rules – phased out for European citizens over the past decade – with the re-introduction of quotas. It also calls for a national preference when filling job vacancies and restrictions of immigrants’ rights to social benefits.
The proposal, if accepted, would be incompatible with an existing deal whereby EU nationals are free to work or live in Switzerland (see infobox).
According to the text of the initiative, Switzerland would have to renegotiate its free movement accord within three years or revoke it. This in turn could threaten other bilateral agreements with the EU.
Supporters argue Switzerland cannot cope with a further increase in the number of immigrants, including asylum seekers, putting an undue strain on the country’s welfare system, housing and traffic infrastructure.
Over the past few years the resident population of Switzerland has grown by about 77,000 people annually as a result of immigration, mainly from EU member countries.
Prosperity
Opponents of the immigration curbs argue that Switzerland’s economic well-being would be undermined and Brussels could cancel a series of key bilateral agreements as a result – dealing a blow to relations between the Swiss government and the 28 nation bloc.
The business community unanimously says certain sectors – including construction, healthcare and research – rely on foreign specialists.
The EU is Switzerland’s main trading partner and neighbouring Germany and Italy are the leading export markets for the Swiss industry.
Sunday’s ballot is the latest in series of more than a dozen nationwide votes on immigration and the free movement of people since 1970.
So far the government has won all votes on the issues, but the People’s Party has boosted its backing over the past two decades. In 2010 voters approved an initiative by the political right to automatically expel foreign criminals from Switzerland.
Mobilisation
The outcome of Sunday’s vote appears to be a close race with turnout being a decisive factor.
Political scientist Claude Longchamp says the ability of the main political parties to mobilise their grassroots in final phase of the campaign could swing the result.
Citizens with little confidence in the government and those who feel the increasing competition from immigrant labour at the workplace have increasingly voiced their frustration.
The latest opinion poll, published last week, gave opponents of immigration caps a 7% lead but the margin has been shrinking.
The eight-week campaign by both sides was marked by costly publicity drives in the media, a string of public speeches by several cabinet ministers and verbal attacks by People’s Party strongman Christoph Blocher against the government’s foreign and immigration policies.
Canada, Asia, Croatia
Senior People’s Party parliamentarians have hinted they are considering further political initiatives to restrict access to the Swiss labour market for foreigners, including the introduction of a point system to control immigration, similar to Canada.
In an effort to counter a possible shortage of labour for certain sectors of the industry and research, the People’s Party has suggested easing immigration for citizens from Asia.
Regardless of Sunday’s result, Swiss voters are also likely to have the final say over the next two years on other proposals aimed at limiting immigration.
A diverse group of environmentalists and anti-immigration campaigners has collected enough signatures for a ballot aimed at curbing annual immigration to Switzerland to 0.2% of the resident population and funding birth control in developing countries.
By 2016 voters will also decide on extending the free movement of people accord to Croatia, the 28th country to join the EU on July 2013.
Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, has agreed more than 120 accords with Brussels.
As part of Switzerland’s direct democracy, agreements can be brought to a nationwide ballot by challenging a respective parliamentary decision or by launching a constitutional amendment.