Swiss say no to hardening neutrality principle, safeguarding sanctions on Russia
The Kremlin backed the referendum proposal, which was opposed by the Swiss government.
Swiss voters have largely rejected a proposal to strengthen the country's neutrality principle, according to early projections from the GFS Bern polling institute. The "safeguard Swiss neutrality" initiative, which would have made it harder to impose sanctions on Russia, was voted down by around 68% of participants in Sunday's referendum, with a 46% participation rate.
If approved, Switzerland's neutrality would have been interpreted more strictly, preventing the country from joining or participating in military or security alliances and from imposing sanctions on hostile states. Russia had openly backed the initiative, which was introduced by the right-wing Pro Switzerland organization. Swiss neutrality, enshrined in the Constitution since 1848, has largely mirrored the EU's sanctions against Russia.
The Swiss government and Parliament had advised rejecting the proposal, with Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis stating that the current neutrality regime "has proved its worth." Voters will be asked another neutrality question in November, assessing whether Switzerland's arms export rules should be tightened to allow exports to a group of 25 mostly Western countries involved in ongoing conflicts.
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