Swiss voters reject stricter neutrality initiative

Voters in Switzerland have overwhelmingly rejected a stricter interpretation of the country's tradition of diplomatic neutrality.

More than 70% of Swiss voters rejected proposals that would have prevented the European nation from imposing sanctions without UN approval, official results showed.

The move would have also prevented Switzerland from pursuing closer ties with the Nato military alliance.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has reopened the debate around Switzerland's centuries-old non-alignment.

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 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 Two. 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.