Swiss voters crush neutrality initiative that would have ended sanctions against Russia—70% say No
The initiative was backed by billionaire Christoph Blocher, whose family company still operates two subsidiaries in Russia that a Swiss investigation found indications of ties to sanctioned military manufacturers.
Swiss voters decisively rejected a proposal to renounce neutrality, a move that would have prohibited the country from imposing sanctions on warring nations and limiting collaboration with NATO. The initiative, dubbed "Safeguard Swiss Neutrality," garnered a resounding 70.2% "no" vote, with zero cantons backing the measure. This outcome comes amid Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, which has transcended military conflicts into a broader campaign of sabotage, political influence, and pressure on European institutions.
The initiative, spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, a former Federal Council member, aimed to make neutrality "permanent, armed, and comprehensive," prohibit cooperation with military alliances except in the event of direct attack, and prohibit sanctions against belligerent states—except for those sanctioned by the United Nations. Switzerland has historically imposed sanctions independently, aligning with the European Union's sanctions on Russia since the conflict's inception in 2022.
Blocher launched the initiative in autumn 2022, coinciding with his daughter's decision to maintain two Russian plants of her company, Ems-Chemie, in production. Ems-Chemie, which manufactures plastics, adhesives, sealants, and technical fibers, has been linked to production of equipment potentially utilized by sanctioned Russian military vehicle manufacturers like KamAZ, UAZ, GAZ, and AvtoVAZ. However, Ems-Chemie denies any such involvement.
The National Council of Switzerland's Federal Parliament unanimously rejected the initiative, with 124 votes against and 65 in favor. Similarly, the Council of States voted 29 to 10 against the proposal. The failure of the initiative underscores the deep-seated opposition to weakening Switzerland's neutral stance and its cooperation with global sanctions efforts in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine.
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