The popular vote of February 9th 2014, on the restriction of mass immigration in Switzerland – analysis of the conditions, course of events and consequences

The present publication analyzes the conditions, course of events, and consequences of the popular vote on the restriction of mass immigration, which took place in Switzerland on February 9th, 2014. In order to understand the essence of the vote, the author introduces the reader to the issue of the Swiss system of direct democracy, a very important part of the country’s political system and presents previously pursued immigration policy of the state. This article mainly aims to present the reasons that led to the popular vote, to present the social attitudes accompanying the pre-vote debate, as well as to analyze the voting results and the consequences of Swiss citizens accepting the initiative. The result of the popular vote is extremely important in the context of the foreign policy pursued by the Swiss government. Society's decision to opt against the current line of Swiss immigration policy, chosen by the state many years ago, is forcing the authorities to introduce significant changes to that policy. These changes, in turn, may significantly undermine the existing relations between Switzerland and the European Union