ZURICH: Swiss voters will decide on Sunday whether to tear up a pact with the European Union on the free movement of people, after a referendum campaign that exposed rifts in society over foreigners who make up a quarter of the population.
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) – the biggest in parliament – is leading the charge to seize back control of immigration, echoing some of the arguments pro-Brexit politicians used in the run-up to Britain’s exit from the EU.
Opinion polls suggest it will not be so successful. A gfs.bern poll found 63% of respondents opposed the SVP proposal and 35% supported it, suggesting voters want stability at a time of economic uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, the SVP has appealed to those who see their culture at risk from immigration, which by the…