In Switzerland, a debate on an important issue is ongoing: the preservation of the country’s neutrality is the subject of a national vote. On 27 September, citizens took part in a referendum initiated by the Swiss People’s Party. The party proposed tightening the definition of neutrality in the Constitution to prevent Switzerland from joining various international sanctions and to refuse to cooperate with military blocs such as NATO.
Exit polls conducted by the well-known media organisation SRF show that a significant majority of citizens – 70.15 per cent – rejected this initiative. Only 29.85 per cent of Swiss citizens supported the proposal, indicating the majority’s reluctance to change the established course.
Switzerland, known for its status as a neutral state, enshrined this principle in its Constitution as far back as 1848. Over the years, neutrality has allowed the country to remain aloof from military conflicts whilst maintaining cooperation with international organisations to ensure its own security. However, in recent years, Switzerland has begun to align itself with the European Union’s sanctions imposed against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a move that has sparked heated debate within the country.
The proposed change could have significantly altered Switzerland’s foreign policy, for example by lifting sanctions against Russia and scaling back cooperation with NATO. However, the results of the vote show that the majority of Swiss people prefer to maintain the existing balance between neutrality and international cooperation.