Swiss Voters Decide on Move to Tighten Neutrality Rules

Voters in Switzerland went to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to reinforce the country's long-standing policy of neutrality, in a referendum championed by the right-wing populist Swiss People's Party.

The party, which holds the largest number of seats in parliament and includes members with pro-Russia sympathies, argues that the federal government has drifted too close to the European Union and NATO, particularly in its response to Russia's war in Ukraine. It has criticized the government's decision to adopt EU sanctions against Russia over what Bern describes as a war of aggression.

Under the proposal, the government would be barred from joining sanctions against any belligerent state unless those measures are approved by the United Nations. Russia, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, holds a veto there.

Switzerland belongs to no military alliance. The measure would also prohibit cooperation with any alliance — as the country has done with NATO for three decades, including through joint exercises — except in cases of direct threat.

Supporters contend that neutrality, enshrined in the constitution since the mid-19th century, must be reaffirmed and defended in every conflict, and that the government has moved dangerously close to the EU and NATO in ways that undermine Switzerland's security and independence of action.

Opponents, including the federal government and parliament, counter that the constitution already grants the executive the flexibility it needs to safeguard national interests.

In Switzerland's system of direct democracy, voters typically cast ballots four times a year. The government is led by a seven-member executive drawn from across the political spectrum that decides by consensus, with the largely ceremonial presidency rotating annually among its members. The current president, Guy Parmelin, belongs to the Swiss People's Party.