Swiss voters cast their ballots on Sunday (September 27) on the initiative to “uphold Swiss neutrality.” According to preliminary estimates by gfs.bern cited by the Swiss Public Broadcasting Corporation (SRF), about 71% of voters voted against stricter neutrality provisions being written into the Swiss Federal Constitution. This indicates that the proposal is facing rejection.
SRF later reported that the initiative also failed to garner the majority of cantonal votes required for a constitutional amendment, confirming that it could not pass. However, the official Swiss results page continues to display ongoing updates on the vote counts across regions.
The initiative, supported by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and its allies, advocates for more specific inclusion of the principle of Switzerland’s “permanent and armed neutrality” in the Federal Constitution. The proposal includes provisions such as prohibiting Switzerland from joining military or defense alliances and cooperating with them; with exceptions made in cases of imminent military attack on Switzerland.
The initiative also asserts that Switzerland should not involve itself in military conflicts between third countries and generally should not impose economic sanctions on belligerent nations. Exceptions include sanctions passed by the United Nations Security Council and measures to prevent the avoidance of sanctions. The initiative further calls for Switzerland to play a more active role as a mediator using its neutral status.
Switzerland is not a member of military alliances like NATO, but over the years, it has engaged in security cooperation with NATO through partnerships, including participation in certain military training and exercises. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Swiss government adopted multiple sanctions against Russia in line with those imposed by the European Union.
However, this government policy has been criticized by the Swiss People’s Party, who advocate for stricter constitutional provisions to ensure Switzerland stays out of foreign conflicts and refrains from imposing sanctions on combatant nations.
Today’s referendum results reveal that Swiss voters support maintaining the principle of neutrality, but the majority do not back further restricting the government’s policy flexibility in handling security, sanctions, and international cooperation by amending the constitution.
SRF’s report quoted analysis from gfs.bern indicating that voters prefer preserving the flexibility for the government and parliament to adjust neutral policies according to international circumstances.
Fabio Wasserfallen, a professor of European politics at the University of Bern, also stated to NBC News, “Swiss voters support neutrality, but they also approve of the way the government is currently implementing neutral policies.”
He noted that the Swiss population generally supports the sanctions imposed on Russia due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and does not wish for a change in this policy.
Switzerland’s permanent neutral status was internationally recognized in 1815, and the principle of neutrality was enshrined in the Federal Constitution in 1848. Unlike the “uphold Swiss neutrality” initiative, the current constitution does not provide a comprehensive regulation of the specific scope of neutral policies.