National Council rejects halving Swiss citizenship requirements

The Democracy Initiative to halve Swiss citizenship residency requirements has reached a hurdle as the National Council votes to recommend rejecting it at the polls in 2027.

Parliament votes against making Swiss citizenship easier for expats

The National Council, the lower chamber of the Swiss Parliament, has voted to recommend rejecting a proposal which could halve residency requirements for Swiss citizenship. Members voted overwhelmingly against the initiative by 130 votes to 62.

The proposal, also known as the “Democracy Initiative” (“Demokratie-Initiative”), wants to make it easier for expats to integrate and argues that the right to vote is a key part of democracy. Currently, anyone seeking Swiss citizenship must have been a resident of Switzerland for 10 years, and additional cantonal requirements may apply. The proposal wants to halve the residency requirement to five years and standardise it across cantons.

Swiss voters have final say on Democracy Initiative

Last year, the Federal Council also announced that it recommends rejecting the popular initiative, mainly because it “significantly infringes upon cantonal powers” by standardising residency requirements across all Swiss cantons and granting the federal government more authority. 

Arber Bullakaj (SP), a supporter of the initiative, argued that it is a “democratic outrage” that such a large number of residents are unable to take part in the Swiss political system due to the strict naturalisation requirements, reports 20 Minuten. Internationals make up around 23 percent of the Swiss population. 

Sibel Arslan (Greens) also says that the naturalisation process is “degrading” and “harassing”. There are several steps to apply for a Swiss passport aside from the residency requirement, such as language proficiency, naturalisation tests and interviews.

Opponents, however, support the Federal Council’s view that the proposal goes against Switzerland’s federal system by shifting decisions away from the cantons. The proposal will next be put to a vote in the Council of States, which represents the cantons, and then to a national referendum in 2027.