In Switzerland, the neutrality initiative failed in a referendum. The population does not want to further restrict cooperation with neighboring countries or do business with countries that have started a war. According to initial projections by the gsf.bern survey institute, around 71 percent of voters rejected the proposal to write a very strict interpretation of Swiss neutrality into the constitution.
The topic has been moving and heated discussions have been taking place across the country for weeks. For many Swiss, neutrality is as much a part of the country's DNA as precision watches and cheese. But: “We are all for it, but everyone understands something different about it,” said Helen Keller, professor of international law at the University of Zurich.
The “Pro Switzerland” association, which is close to the party with the highest number of voters, the right-wing conservative SVP, was behind the initiative. Despite the defeat, the fight is not over, said SVP veteran Christoph Blocher (85) beforehand: “If we lose, we’ll just come back.”
War, peace and business
According to “Pro Switzerland”, she is primarily concerned with war and peace. She freely admits that the economy would also benefit. With a peace dove on the posters and the slogan “No War,” she wanted to suggest that Switzerland would be better protected from attacks with strict neutrality.
“Security in our country has been massively endangered today,” said Walter Wobmann, President of the Initiative Committee. Blocher was previously convinced that in the event of a possible war against European countries, Russia would only stop at the Swiss border if it was strictly neutral, as he said in an interview with the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ).
The country was spared during the Second World War. At that time, Switzerland supplied the Nazi regime with weapons, electricity and foreign currency by purchasing gold from Nazi Germany, including looted gold. Strict neutrality also means: no economic boycotts or travel bans, says Blocher.
“Neutrality is not a free pass”
This vote was about Switzerland's reputation, said the director of the Economiesuisse business association, Monika Rühl. “We don’t want to be seen as winners of wars or as those who avoid sanctions.” The population rejected a corset that would have restricted cooperation with partner countries.
Economic sanctions are an important instrument for the international community to respond to serious violations of international law, said international law expert Keller. “If war crimes are committed, if children are abducted, then Switzerland should not hide behind neutrality. Neutrality is not a free pass to look the other way.”
A very strict interpretation of neutrality raises further questions regarding other obligations under international law, said Keller. Would Switzerland then not take part in a tribunal that is supposed to investigate the crimes in Ukraine, Keller asked. “Wouldn’t we implement international arrest warrants?”
Business with warring parties
“We can’t open ourselves up to the autocrats and corrupt elites of the world,” said ex-diplomat Günther Baechler, who was committed to the No camp. “It can’t be the case that everyone is reacting to the war against Ukraine and we’re having a nice life here.” Baechler demands a clear moral compass: “We cannot treat perpetrators and victims equally,” he said.
But for supporters of strict neutrality it is clear: “This means that Switzerland can continue to trade with a country to the same extent as before the foreign sanctions,” as ex-ambassador Paul Widmer told the “NZZ”. Blocher's family owns the global company Ems Chemie, which also has two plants in Russia.
Neutral since 1815
Swiss neutrality has been guaranteed internationally since 1815. It must stay out of wars and defensive alliances like NATO. What made “Pro Switzerland” angry was that the government in Bern, after initial hesitation, largely implemented the EU sanctions against Russia in 2022 after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
That was the trigger for the neutrality initiative. She wanted to write a strict interpretation of neutrality into the constitution and also to ban cooperation with defense alliances, unless the country is under military attack or such an attack is imminent. She only wanted to allow sanctions approved by the United Nations - which, for example, Russia would have prevented with its veto in the UN Security Council after the attack on Ukraine.
“Anyone who only looks for partners in the event of a crisis comes too late,” said Raphaël Bez, Secretary General of the European Movement Switzerland. The movement would prefer to see Switzerland in the EU.
