Swiss voters decide on stricter neutrality rules

Swiss voters were deciding on September 27 whether to write a stricter definition of the country’s neutrality into its constitution, a proposal that would limit participation in sanctions and military cooperation. The referendum was still under way in the supplied reports, and no result was available in them. The initiative would prohibit Switzerland from joining sanctions against belligerent states unless the United Nations authorized them. It would also bar cooperation with military or defense alliances, except in specified circumstances involving an attack on Switzerland. The proposal sought to define Swiss neutrality as perpetual and armed. Supporters, led by the Swiss People’s Party, said the country’s neutrality had been weakened by the government’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. They argued that stricter constitutional rules would reaffirm Switzerland’s independence and its ability to serve as a diplomatic intermediary. The campaign’s central dispute was how neutrality should guide the country’s foreign policy. The Swiss government, parliament and most major political parties opposed the initiative.