"No war": The slogan of the campaign from the right-wing conservative SVP - for an even more neutral Switzerland. It can currently be read all over the country - the makers of the neutrality initiative have invested several million francs in the advertising campaign.
Posters with a white dove of peace fluttering over the outline of Switzerland. The core idea of the campaign: more neutral means safer.
Political neutrality à la Suisse
Opinion research institutes regularly ask how people in the country feel about political neutrality. Approval is usually 80 percent or more.
Switzerland's political neutrality means, among other things, that it is not allowed to join any military alliance or take part in the wars of other states. It is also reflected in the fact that Switzerland often offers itself as a mediator between hostile countries.
Russia sanctions reason for initiative
But the neutrality initiative wants more. She demands that the Swiss constitution sets out in detail what is compatible with Swiss neutrality and what is not. And that politicians will practice neutrality more strictly in the future. The face and head of the initiative is former Federal Councilor Christoph Blocher: As the owner of a chemical company, he became a multi-billionaire. Blocher is one of the most polarizing figures in Swiss politics. His historical opponent: the EU.
As SVP National Councilor, he played a key role in ensuring that Switzerland did not join the European Economic Area in 1992. Under his leadership, the right-wing conservative Swiss People's Party went from being a small party to becoming the strongest political force. The fact that Switzerland decided shortly after the start of Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine to support the sanctions against Russia - for him it was both a fall from grace and a breach of neutrality. And at the same time the reason why he launched the neutrality initiative.
In an interview with the ARD studio in Geneva, he explains his motivation as follows: "I notice that many of our customers around the world are asking, is Switzerland still neutral? (…). Russia has said: You are now on the enemy list. That's not a good sign. We have to do everything we can now to correct that."
Demands of the initiative
According to the initiative, Switzerland should - unlike before - no longer work with any military and defense alliance such as NATO. Unless it is attacked militarily.
Furthermore, Switzerland will no longer be allowed to take sanctions against warring states in the future. Unless these follow a decision by the UN Security Council.
Does neutrality à la Blocher benefit or harm the country?
The 85-year-old Blocher also explains his motivation for a stricter interpretation of neutrality with the fact that he experienced the Second World War as a child - and now wants to avoid anything that could lead to Switzerland being attacked. Opponents of his initiative, on the other hand, say that a future neutrality policy à la Blocher would even endanger the country's security.
Franz Perrez, Director of the International Law Department at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, finds the call for an end to military cooperation with NATO downright negligent.
His country's military depends on its existence to train in areas where there is more space for this than in small Switzerland. This applies especially to the Air Force. It is also important to regularly train the interaction of the military systems: "If Switzerland could no longer practice together with NATO countries, then that would mean that Switzerland is preparing like for a soccer World Cup, but is not allowed to hold any training games."
Low chances of success
Historian and neutrality expert Marco Jorio agrees. He also believes that abandoning economic sanctions could also harm Switzerland. If Switzerland actually no longer accepts sanctions imposed by its most important trading partners in the future, there is a risk that the country itself could be sanctioned. Jorio is sure: Then there would be a huge outcry in Switzerland - and not just among entrepreneurs like Blocher.
The chances of the neutrality initiative passing on Sunday are slim. According to current surveys, 63 percent of those surveyed want to vote “no”.
Many convinced SVP voters also doubt the sense of neutrality à la Blocher.
Russia and Swiss neutrality
The vote in Switzerland will definitely be followed closely in Russia. In recent months, state-affiliated media and government representatives have repeatedly promoted the initiative. A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram in mid-August that Switzerland was bending neutrality "exactly where it is useful and exactly as far as it is useful. In the 1940s it bent towards Berlin because there was gold and a market there. Today it bends towards Kiev and Brussels.
The EU and Germany are against this. During a visit to Bern in mid-August, Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) was also asked by journalists about the neutrality initiative in Bern. “Of course I don’t want to get involved in a Swiss discussion,” said Wadephul, looking at his Swiss counterpart Cassis. He is happy about Switzerland as a partner of interest “in many places”. But then he adds: “I wish it stays the way it is. But the Swiss have to decide that for themselves."
You can also see these and other reports in the Europamagazin - on Sunday at 12.45 p.m. on Erste.
