00:00Over in Switzerland, voters have rejected a far-right proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million.
00:06With a turnout of around 60%, official results show nearly 55% voted against the measure, while 45% backed
00:14it.
00:16The initiative was put forward by the right-wing Swiss People's Party,
00:21which is the largest party in parliament and has long campaigned on immigration.
00:25It would also have triggered tighter restrictions on residency permits, family reunification and asylum applications
00:32if the population reached 9.5 million by 2050.
00:36The government, business groups and all other major political parties opposed the plan,
00:41warning it could jeopardize Switzerland's free movement agreements with the European Union and harm the economy.
00:47However, the People's Party argued the cap would help ease pressure on housing, transport and the environment.
00:53Switzerland's population has grown from about 7.3 million in 2002 to 9.1 million today,
01:01with foreign nationals accounting for more than a quarter of the population.
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