"We face a threat." A key referendum is coming in Switzerland

The changes include: aimed at allowing arms supplies to 36 Western countries, even if they engage in armed conflicts. There will also be no requirement for importers to sign a declaration not to re-export Swiss weapons. Ukraine is not on the list.

A threat that hasn't existed for a long time

Reto Nause, an MP from the Center Party, quoted by Reuters, believes that the applicable regulations require a thorough change to reflect the increasingly dangerous international environment.

We are facing a threat on a scale we have not seen since World War II, he said.

In his opinion, leaving the declaration on the re-export ban would discourage NATO countries from buying Swiss weapons, because they want to be able to share weapons in the event of an attack on the Alliance.

The manufacturers affected by this change include the German company Rheinmetall, which produces anti-drone defense systems in Switzerland, the French arms group Thales, which produces SIG Sauer small arms, and over 100 other companies.

“It would be a violation of neutrality.”

Opponents of liberalization of arms export regulations raise the issue of Switzerland's traditional neutrality.

"In the future, Swiss military equipment could in some cases be sent to countries that are parties to the conflict," Reuters quotes Fabian Molina, an MP from the left-wing Social Democrats. "It would be a violation of neutrality," he said.

Another social democratic activist, the head of her youth wing, Mirjam Hostetmann, stated that the relaxation of regulations could lead to the increasing use of Swiss weapons in civil wars or by authoritarian governments.

It is an illusion to believe that more weapons will guarantee more peace, she said, adding that only the arms industry will benefit from the changes.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Switzerland has been the 17th largest arms exporter in the world over the last 10 years. The sector employs 14,000. people, and in 2025 the value of its exports amounted to approximately USD 1.15 billion.

"Will the Swiss arms industry survive or collapse?"

Weapons manufacturers fear for the future if the law is not changed.

This is a decisive question, it's really about whether the Swiss arms industry will survive or collapse, Matthias Zoller, secretary general of the Swiss Aviation, Security and Defense Association, told Reuters.

He added that having its own arms industry is crucial for Switzerland, but if exports are excessively restricted, manufacturers may simply move abroad.

In his opinion, if Switzerland could no longer sell weapons abroad, it would have to take into account that it would be at the back of the queue when purchasing new systems and even components from other countries.