Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposed law that would have capped the country’s population at 10 million, according to projections by Swiss media.
With official tallies still pending, projections showed 54% of voters opposed the measure and 46% supported it, the New York Times reported.
The proposed law was introduced by Switzerland’s right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which argued that capping the population would ease pressure on transportation, housing and the environment. However, the party has a long history of campaigning against immigration and asylum seekers, blaming racial minorities for problems in the country, the BBC reported.
Switzerland’s population has increased by nearly 25% since 2002, from 7.3 million people to 9.1 million. About 27% of the population are not Swiss citizens.
Support for the proposal was strongest in rural areas, the Times reported, with opposition centered in cities and border regions.
Had the measure passed, it could have risked Switzerland’s relationship with the European Union. More than half of Swiss-made products are sold in the EU, but those trade agreements are dependent on Europe’s free movement of people, according to the Times.