Report aims to show solutions and measures: Federal Council arms itself for 10 million Switzerland

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“10 million Bellaiche” – that’s what GLP National Councilor Judith Bellaiche (52) has recently been called in the SVP. The Zurich native submitted a proposal in which she called on the Federal Council to draw up a vision of a Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants.

In concrete terms, the Bundesrat should show in a report which planning goals, solutions and measures are needed so that Switzerland can support a population of 10 million people. “With forward-looking planning, a liveable Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants is possible,” Bellaiche explains.

Federal Council wants to shed light on 10 million Switzerland

Now the state government has answered the request – positively! “The Bundesrat will take up the concern of the postulant in the context of the message on the legislature planning 2023 to 2027,” is the short answer. The Bundesrat wants to be prepared for the challenge of a 10 million Switzerland.

“That’s great! I’m pleasantly surprised,” Bellaiche said of the decision, fearing that the government would reject the initiative with vague arguments and reference to the responsibility of the cantons.

“Fortunately, the Federal Council does not just want to observe developments, but is taking a solution-oriented step forward to clarify the pending issues,” says Bellaiche. “Legislative planning is the right place for that.”

Is the scenario still realistic?

If the GLP National Councilor has its way, the Federal Council should also clarify how realistic the 10 million scenario is. Even though Switzerland is currently heading towards the 9 million mark, sustained growth cannot be taken for granted.

“In Europe, the total population shrinks every year by the size of Berlin – that’s two million,” says Bellaiche. “Sooner or later, this trend could also affect Switzerland. If you look at the birth rate here, growth is only possible with more immigration.”

Nevertheless, the Federal Council must prepare for the scenario. “Even if a Switzerland with 10 million inhabitants is rather unlikely, we should not blindly go for it,” said the Zurich resident. Should the scenario ever materialize, you need to be prepared for it – in infrastructure, health and education, or land use planning, for example.

SVP warns of “huge costs”

“Bellaiche definitely wants a 10 million Switzerland. Not me!”, says SVP campaign manager and member of the Rijksraad Marcel Dettling (42, SZ). “But I agree with her that everything has to be shown mercilessly, which is a huge cost to us.”

However, he questions whether a federal government report is the way to go. Dettling fears it will probably be “too nicely coloured”. Because: “The federal government will probably resently admit that immigration policy has failed.”

Instead, Dettling would prefer to know from the federal government “how to prevent 10 million people from living in Switzerland one day”. Density stress is the keyword. “10 million also means more electricity needs, more food needs, more water needs, etc.” The SVP plans to launch its new immigration initiative in July to curb population growth.

Bellaiche is not afraid

“10 million Switzerland is not my goal,” Bellaiche clarifies meanwhile. “But I’m not afraid of it either, because with good preparation we can create a good quality of life for the entire population – the existing and the new – in an emergency.”

Source:Blick