Switzerland rejects stricter interpretation of its neutrality
The initiative would have prevented the nation from imposing sanctions unless approved by the UN.
Swiss voters decisively rejected a proposal to strengthen the country's neutrality in a referendum held on Sunday, with approximately 70% voting against the measure. The initiative, which would have limited Switzerland's ability to impose sanctions on other nations, was rejected across all 26 Swiss cantons. The proposal, backed by the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP), claimed that Switzerland had grown too close to the European Union and NATO, particularly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis emphasized that Switzerland would remain neutral despite the referendum outcome. The initiative, championed by Christoph Blocher, an 85-year-old SVP billionaire, had spent an estimated 3.8 million Swiss francs on the campaign, making it the largest expenditure by a single individual on a Swiss referendum.
Critics, including Swiss National Council member Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher, argued that the measure would have prevented Switzerland from responding adequately to situations like Russia's war against Ukraine. The rejected initiative aimed to establish "perpetual and armed neutrality" in the Swiss constitution and restrict military cooperation with NATO to situations involving imminent military attacks.
Despite the defeat, 82% of respondents still supported Switzerland's neutrality in the latest survey. The referendum was part of Switzerland's direct democracy system, which allows citizens to vote on proposed legislation, constitutional amendments, and other policy questions four times a year.
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