OMM Redaksiyası
Swiss voters have rejected by a wide margin an initiative aimed at tightening the country’s neutrality policy.
According to final results released by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, 70.15% of voters opposed the initiative, while 29.85% supported it. The proposal was rejected in all cantons. Voter turnout was 47.06%.
What did the initiative propose?
The initiative proposed enshrining a more restrictive approach to Switzerland’s neutrality in the constitution.
If adopted, the measure would have prevented the country from joining or cooperating with military or defense alliances unless Switzerland had been attacked or faced an imminent military threat.
The proposal also stipulated that sanctions against countries involved in armed conflicts could be imposed only with the approval of the United Nations.
Under current policy, Switzerland can cooperate with other countries and security partners while maintaining its neutral status, and can also join international sanctions regimes.
How did the government assess the result?
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said the result should not be interpreted as a rejection of the principle of neutrality.
He said Switzerland remained neutral and that the referendum result allowed the government to decide on economic sanctions on a case-by-case basis, while cooperating with international partners when this strengthened national security.
Cassis added that Switzerland’s security was closely linked to stability elsewhere in Europe.
Russia sanctions were a key issue in the debate
The Swiss People’s Party, which backed the initiative, argued that the country’s traditional neutrality had been weakened after Switzerland joined sanctions against Moscow following Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
Supporters of the initiative sought clearer constitutional restrictions on Switzerland’s participation in sanctions and security cooperation.
The Swiss government and most major political parties, however, said the proposal would unnecessarily limit the country’s ability to respond to international crises and protect its security interests.
After the referendum, the Swiss People’s Party accepted its defeat and said it had no plans to take further steps in the near term.
Party lawmaker Lukas Reimann said he was disappointed by the result but welcomed the continued broad public support for the principle of Swiss neutrality. He said the party would closely monitor future government decisions, particularly the imposition of tougher sanctions and measures it considered contrary to neutrality.
Switzerland’s neutrality has been recognized internationally since the 19th century and has formed part of the country’s constitutional framework since 1848. The rejection of the initiative leaves the government able to maintain Switzerland’s formal neutral status while cooperating with international partners and participating in sanctions.
