In a referendum today, Swiss voters rejected a right-wing party's proposal to limit the number of European Union (EU) citizens who are allowed to live and work in that country, preliminary results show.
Swiss broadcaster SRF said after polls closed that preliminary results based on partially counted votes showed a majority of voters rejected the measure.
The measure, advocated by the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party, would give Swiss citizens preferential access to jobs, social security and benefits over those from the 27-member bloc.
If adopted, the proposal would further strain relations between Switzerland and the European Union and lead to reciprocal measures that would affect Swiss people who want to live and work in the EU.
About 1,4 million EU citizens live in Switzerland, and about 500.000 Swiss live in EU countries.
In a similar referendum in 2014, the Swiss narrowly voted to restrict access for EU citizens to live and work in Switzerland.
Lawmakers, however, refused to fully implement the referendum fearing a major impact on Swiss society and businesses, prompting the People's Party to bring the issue back to a vote again this year.
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