Opponents of Swiss 'No 10 Million' Initiative Spend 9 Million Francs in Historic Campaign

Recent data from the Swiss Federal Audit Office reveals that the upcoming vote on the SVP's 'No 10 Million Switzerland' initiative is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the country's history. By mid-May, approximately 15.5 million francs had been spent on the campaigns. The opposition 'No' camp, warning of a 'chaos initiative,' has raised over 9 million francs, with significant contributions from Economiesuisse, which donated 4.2 million francs to the 'No to Chaos Initiative' alliance. Additional support came from Gastrosuisse, the Swiss Tourism Association, and the trade union Unia. Conversely, the 'Yes' camp operates with a budget of roughly 6.4 million francs, primarily funded by the SVP party structures, the Foundation for Civil Politics, and key figures like Thomas Matter and Christoph Blocher. This level of spending far exceeds previous controversial votes, such as the motorway expansion referendum, highlighting intense political and economic stakes. The transparency laws effective since 2024 have allowed for detailed tracking of these substantial financial flows, showing a stark contrast with other simultaneous votes like the Civil Service Act referendum.