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A large majority of Swiss voters have rejected an attempt to slash immigration from the European Union, according to projections released after the polls closed.
According to reports, 63% of people voted against the initiative of the populist right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), Switzerland’s largest party.
He wanted to break an agreement that would allow the free movement of people between Switzerland and the surrounding EU.
But 63% of the electorate rejected the proposal, according to projections from the polling institute gfs.bern.
The senior vice president had led the charge to regain control of immigration, echoing some of the arguments used by politicians in favor of Brexit before the British survey on leaving the EU.
He painted a grim picture of young foreigners impersonating older Swiss, housing became more expensive, schools and transportation were overcrowded, and construction was runaway.
Among his posters was one showing jeans with a belt with EU stars on a map of Switzerland, under the words: “Enough is enough!”
Opponents said the plan would rob companies of skilled workers and torpedo deals that improve non-EU member Switzerland’s access to the EU single market.
Also today, the Swiss seem to have accepted the introduction of paid paternity leave for the first time, allowing new parents to take two weeks off after the birth of their child.
Projections showed that 61% had voted in favor of a two-week paternity leave in the rich Alpine country, long considered quite traditional in terms of family role models and gender roles.
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