Swiss voters reject strengthening neutrality in referendum

Swiss voters rejected a proposal to enshrine in the Constitution a significantly stricter interpretation of the country's neutrality. The result of the vote preserves Bern's current room for international cooperation and joining sanctions regimes.

According to official results of the referendum on September 27, 70.15% of voters voted against the so-called Neutrality Initiative, and 29.85% supported it. Turnout was 47.06%. The proposal was not supported by any canton.

The initiative provided for enshrining in the Constitution a provision on Switzerland's "permanent and armed" neutrality. The country would have been prohibited from joining military or defense alliances and would have had substantially limited cooperation with them if Switzerland itself were not under attack or immediate threat of attack.

One of the key provisions was sanctions policy. If the initiative had been approved, Switzerland could not impose sanctions against states participating in war, except for restrictions approved by the UN and measures against sanctions evasion.

The current model of neutrality does not establish such restrictions. Federal authorities explicitly state that Switzerland can join sanctions regimes and cooperate with other states in the security field without renouncing its neutral status. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bern largely joined the European Union's sanctions against Russia.

Therefore, the referendum result does not directly change existing sanctions against Russia, but leaves Swiss authorities the ability to continue making independent decisions on joining new international restrictions.

Earlier, "Kurs Ukrainy" wrote that the proposed constitutional change could significantly narrow Bern's sanctions capabilities. Supporters of the initiative believed that current policy, particularly joining EU sanctions, was gradually moving the country away from the traditional understanding of neutrality.

Before the vote, the federal government and parliament recommended rejecting the initiative, arguing that the current approach gives the state more freedom to respond to international crises and cooperate in the security field.

Based on materials from: Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Swiss Federal Council