Swiss voters turn down strict neutrality proposal backed by Moscow
Voters in Switzerland have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have introduced a stricter interpretation of traditional Swiss neutrality, BBC News reported.
At least 70% of voters opposed an initiative to ban Switzerland from imposing sanctions unless they’re approved by the United Nations. The move would have also prevented Switzerland from pursuing closer ties with the Nato military alliance.
The vote followed a debate triggered when Switzerland imposed sanctions on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow openly backed the initiative, which was supported by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and opposed by the federal government and all other major parties.
Lukas Golder, co-director of research institute Gfs.bern told Swiss public broadcaster SRF that Swiss voters had not rejected embracing its neutrality but that the vote showed Switzerland was in favour of sanctions against Russia.
“People have a clear idea of what Switzerland’s neutrality is supposed to achieve,” he said.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said during a recent televised debate that “neutrality has always been applied with a degree of flexibility”.
While Switzerland had no plans to lift a ban on selling arms to countries in conflict, including Ukraine, he stressed that “neutrality does not mean indifference”.
He added that Switzerland would “not look away when we see violations of the very international rules that allow us to live in peace”.
Switzerland was internationally recognised in 1815 when the country was granted “eternal neutrality” at the Congress of Vienna, during a period of war and upheaval in Europe.
This neutrality was legally defined by the Hague Convention of 1907, which forbade Switzerland from supplying weapons to countries at war. It previously rejected a request from Germany for ammunition for tanks being sent to Kyiv.
Switzerland remained neutral through World War II. It also banked gold looted by the Nazis and, in a move designed to keep Nazi Germany from invading, turned away thousands of Jewish refugees.
Switzerland apologised for the policies in the 1990s.
Switzerland’s system of direct democracy means major political decisions are often deferred to the voters through referenda.
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