Swiss voters reject initiative to tighten neutrality rules

Swiss voters appear to have rejected a proposal to introduce a more rigid enforcement of the country's neutrality principle — repudiating an idea which would have made imposing sanctions against Moscow more difficult.

In a referendum which took place Sunday, around 7 out of 10 Swiss participants voted against the "safeguard Swiss neutrality" initiative, according to projections from the Swiss polling institute GFS Bern. Early official results put the "no" camp at 68%, with a participation rate of 46%. Counting is still in progress.

If the proposal had been approved, Switzerland's neutrality, enshrined in the Constitution since 1848, would have been interpreted more strictly, with the country not joining or participating in any military or security alliance, and not imposing sanctions on hostile states.

There were concerns that a “yes” vote would have effectively prevented Switzerland from imposing sanctions on Russia — unless they were approved by the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow has veto power.

Russia openly backed the initiative, which was introduced by the right-wing Pro Switzerland organization. Pro Swizerland argued that Swiss neutrality should always be applied and "not adjusted on a case-by-case or ad hoc basis."

Switzerland has largely mirrored the EU's sanctions against Moscow. The country expanded its sanctions list in mid-August, following the EU's 20th sanctions package.

Both the Swiss government and the Swiss Parliament had advised rejecting the proposal. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who leads the country's foreign affairs department, had said that the country's current neutrality regime "has proved its worth."

Swiss voters face another neutrality question later this year. In November, they will be asked to assess whether Switzerland's arms export rules are still fit for purpose or whether the country should be allowed to export weapons to a defined group of 25 mostly Western countries, even if they are involved in an ongoing conflict.

If approved, that change would tighten Swiss ties with Western countries and could boost its defense industry's export earnings.