Swiss voters have rejected a proposal that would have imposed stricter constitutional limits on the country’s neutrality policy, including tighter restrictions on military alliances, cooperation with NATO and the use of economic sanctions.
The neutrality initiative, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and the Pro Schweiz movement, was rejected by 70.2% of voters, with 29.8% supporting it. Turnout was 47.06%, according to Switzerland’s public broadcaster SRF.
A separate referendum on food policy was also rejected. The so-called Nutrition Initiative received 27.5% support and 72.5% opposition, with turnout at 47.3%.
Cassis: The result is not a vote against neutrality
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said the result should not be interpreted as a rejection of neutrality itself.
“This result is not a vote against neutrality. Switzerland was neutral yesterday, is neutral today and will remain neutral in the future,” Cassis said at a press conference following the vote.
He noted that Switzerland had not always followed the same approach to neutrality, shifting between more restrictive policies and periods of greater international cooperation.
“The aim has always been to protect the country’s security and prevent Switzerland from being drawn into a war,” Cassis said, stressing that neutrality did not mean isolation.
“Switzerland is neutral, but not alone. Our security also depends on the security of our neighbours and the stability of the European continent,” he said.
Cassis argued that rejecting the initiative would allow Switzerland to maintain closer cooperation with neighbouring countries without becoming a member of a military alliance.
What did the neutrality initiative propose?
The initiative sought to enshrine stricter rules on Swiss neutrality in the constitution.
Under the proposal, Switzerland would have been prohibited from joining military or defence alliances and would have faced tighter restrictions on military cooperation with other countries, except in cases where the country itself had been attacked or faced an imminent threat of attack.
The initiative also sought to prevent Switzerland from taking part in military conflicts between third countries and from imposing economic sanctions on states involved in wars.
UN-mandated sanctions and measures designed to prevent sanctions evasion would have remained exempt from those restrictions.
The proposal was supported by the SVP and Pro Schweiz, which argued for a more restrictive interpretation of Switzerland’s traditional neutrality policy.
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