Swiss reject plan to toughen neutrality

Swiss voters decisively rejected a proposal on Sunday to tighten their country's long-standing neutrality, final results indicated. The initiative, championed by the hard-right Swiss People's Party and labeled "pro-Russian" by critics, aimed to enshrine a strict, "armed and perpetual" definition of neutrality into the Swiss constitution. The proposal garnered just 70.1% of the votes cast, according to official results.

While most Swiss citizens generally uphold neutrality, the initiative ignited intense debate over its interpretation. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis emphasized that Switzerland's neutrality remains unchanged: "Switzerland was neutral yesterday, it will be neutral today and it will remain neutral." The rejection was not a vote against neutrality itself, the minister clarified.

The initiative faced strong opposition from the government, parliament, and most major political parties, who argued it would overly restrict Switzerland's diplomatic flexibility amidst escalating geopolitical tensions. Concerned over the EU's economic sanctions on Russia, the pro-sovereignty group Pro Switzerland gathered enough signatures to initiate the referendum under Switzerland's direct democracy framework.

Moscow, which has condemned Switzerland's alignment with EU sanctions and accused Bern of abandoning neutrality, welcomed the initiative. However, both the Swiss government and parliament contended that the proposal was excessively rigid, potentially limiting their options during this period of heightened global instability. They stressed that neutrality inherently involves some degree of adaptability.

Cassis noted during a recent televised discussion that Switzerland maintains neutrality with flexibility in mind. While the country does not intend to lift the current arms sales ban to conflict zones, including Ukraine, he stressed the importance of neutrality not equating to indifference. The Swiss People's Party, the nation's largest political entity, was the sole supporter of the proposal.

Its vice-president, Celine Amaudruz, argued that perpetual armed neutrality was essential to preserve Switzerland's credibility in fostering peace, diplomacy, and dialogue.