Representatives of the Swiss People's Party hand over signatures required for a vote to limit Switzerland’s population growth.
Illustration: 731 Photographer: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Switzerland Is Asking Itself: Is 10 Million People Too Many?
As the world flocks to Davos, the host country ponders a population cap
When the population in Davos surges next week during the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering, residents of the Swiss town will grit their teeth and suffer through the overcrowding, traffic chaos and disruption. After all, local stores, offices and even churches earn big sums renting out space to the elite crowd.
The headache lasts just a week, but the feelings in the mountain town are symbolic of tensions playing out all year round across Switzerland. And unlike in Davos, the Swiss increasingly feel that globalization has become a Faustian pact they’re no longer happy with.