(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in Switzerland oppose reinstating a process that allows people to vote in favour or against granting citizenship to immigrants, according to a poll by GfS Research Institute released by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. 56 per cent of respondents would vote against bringing back this mechanism in an upcoming referendum, while 33 per cent would vote in favour.

The referendum seeks to allow people to decide on the naturalization of a foreign citizen through a municipal vote. This procedure was banned in 2003 by the Federal Court, which alleged that many citizenship applicants—particularly those of Balkan origin—were rejected unfairly in some communities.

Since 1959, Switzerland has formed its government under a power-sharing agreement known as the "Magic Formula." The country’s four major political parties are represented in the seven-post cabinet.

In October 2007, the ultra-nationalist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) secured 62 seats in the Council—seven more than in 2003—followed by the Social-Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS) with 43 mandates, the Freethinking-Democratic Party of Switzerland (FDP) and the Christian Democratic People’s Party (CVP) with 31 seats each, and the Green Party of Switzerland (GPS) with 20 mandates. On Jan. 1, home affairs minister and FDP member Pascal Couchepin took over as federal president.

The SVP is promoting the referendum to bring back the process of naturalizing immigrants by municipal vote. The other major Swiss parties oppose the measure. The ballot will take place on Jun. 1.

On May 23, Hans Schwegler, president of the SVP’s branch in Lucerne, said he supports the initiative to bring back the process of granting citizenship to newcomers through a municipal vote, but admitted: "It is easier for a committee to examine the applications and candidates than it is for individual citizens."

Polling Data

How would you vote on the people’s initiative for democratic naturalization?

Source: GfS Research Institute / Swiss Broadcasting Corporation
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,209 Swiss adults, conducted from May 9 to May 17, 2008. Margin of error is 2.9 per cent.

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