Russland: Wahlkämpfer mit 85 Jahren: Ein Schweizer Milliardär will die Sanktionen gegen Putin kippen

On a September morning, Christoph Blocher emerged from his black Mercedes and approached the crowd in the wooden hall. The scent of bratwurst wafted through the air, accompanied by Helvetian folk songs. Blocher, the patriarch of the Swiss People's Party (SVP), was hosting a home game in Mülenen, a half-hour drive south of Bern. A large SVP poster advertised at the event site: "No War.

Yes to Swiss Neutrality." Blocher removed his summer hat and greeted his supporters: "Dear men and women." The audience, mostly from the nearby Kandertal valley, included farmers, craftsmen, and honorary citizens. Blocher, who once transformed the once humble SVP into Switzerland's largest political force and served as a long-time party chief in Zurich canton, had come to promote his strict neutrality initiative.

On September 27th, citizens across the country would vote on the issue. Surrounded by rugged mountains and greenery, Blocher spoke on geopolitics: "Don't mix in other people's affairs." The 85-year-old took a turn: "It's about the foundation of our country, the independence we want to keep," he declared. "Neutrality protects us from war."

Applause, cheers, and "Yes!" rang out. An ex-officer of the Swiss Army, a panzer grenadier, shouted: "Here you'll find no one opposing Blocher." Critics outside the Swiss People's Party warn of Blocher's plans, calling them a "Putin initiative." The predominantly left-wing campaign "No to Neutrality Initiative" accuses the entrepreneur of playing into the hands of Russian President and war instigator Vladimir Putin.

"The Neutrality Initiative means turning a blind eye while Putin bombs Ukraine," they argue. In reality, it's a "Putin initiative." Blocher opponents point to the billions in Swiss financial and economic sanctions against Russia. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Swiss had joined the European Union's punitive measures against Moscow.

As of March 2025, the Swiss had frozen 7.4 billion Swiss francs, equivalent to 7.8 billion euros, in Russian assets and blocked 14 properties and reserves. The value of the frozen Russian assets is expected to have risen since then. Russia's fury is accordingly great. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described Switzerland as "openly hostile."

Yet it is these very sanctions that Blocher's move aims to circumvent. The Swiss government, the Federal Council, and parliament reject Blocher's "rigid concept." Moscow cheers for the initiative. Even neutral Switzerland is now following suit, as the federal council points out. Scholars like historian André Holenstein fear a severe blow to the country's international standing: "Facing the existing power dynamics, the initiative would isolate Switzerland entirely in Europe and weaken the country."

Blocher wants to enshrine his vision of hard neutrality in the constitution: "Enduring, armed, and fully," he stresses to his fellow countrymen. A new, detailed Article 54a would prohibit Switzerland from imposing sanctions on war-leading states, unless compelled by the United Nations. Unless Switzerland is obliged to do so by the UN.

Blocher's hard no to the sanctions elicits applause from the Putin regime. Kremlin-aligned media such as RT further spread enthusiasm for the Neutrality Initiative and attack the sanctions policy of the Bern government. The State Secretariat for Security Policy confirms that Russia has been using "disinformation and propaganda" against Switzerland for some time.

Sometimes, however, this is done in a rather clumsy manner, such as attributing anonymous articles to a seemingly Swiss-sounding Hans-Ueli Läppli. The Swiss broadcaster SRF labels this Hans-Ueli Läppli as almost Swiss enough to be believable. Blocher ignores these accusations of collusion and business dealings with Putin. Regardless, the SVP legend remains a symbol of Switzerland's neutrality. Will Germans soon lose their Swiss bank accounts?