Swiss vote could limit sanctions and NATO cooperation

Swiss voters will decide in a referendum on September 27 whether to approve a more restrictive form of neutrality that would prevent the Alpine country from imposing economic sanctions or cooperating with NATO, Reuters reports.

Posters featuring doves of peace and urging voters to reject war have appeared across Switzerland as part of a Kremlin-backed campaign. The campaign has raised concerns that the proposal could isolate the country from its European neighbours, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

Opinion polls suggest that Swiss voters will reject the proposal. A recent survey showed 62% opposed and 36% in favour, although the gap could narrow as the campaign to maintain the status quo gains momentum.

Swiss neutrality, internationally recognised since 1815 and incorporated into the country’s Constitution in 1848, kept Switzerland out of the two world wars of the 20th century.

However, the status is now at risk after Switzerland imposed sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Christoph Blocher, a veteran politician and supporter of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which backs the campaign.

“Switzerland has not had a war for 200 years because it has remained permanently armed and neutral,” Blocher told Reuters in an interview.

The terms of Swiss neutrality are not explicitly defined in the Constitution. Its framework is established by the 1907 Hague Convention, which states that neutral countries must not allow their territory to be used for military purposes and must remain impartial between warring parties.

Blocher, who led a successful campaign against closer ties with the European Union, said neutrality is being undermined because Russia now considers Switzerland a party to the conflict as a result of the sanctions it has imposed.

“In legal terms, ‘flexible neutrality’ means absolutely no neutrality,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, criticizing Switzerland’s alignment with EU sanctions against Moscow on social media.

Laurent Goetschel, a political science professor at the University of Basel, said posters carrying the message “No to war, yes to neutrality” could appeal to voters who may not fully understand how neutrality is applied.

“Neutrality is not a dogma. It is justified for Switzerland to remain neutral, but how it manages this should be left to the government and not fixed in the Constitution,” Goetschel explained.

Photo: Wikipedia