Swiss vote on neutrality: result could block Russia sanctions

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Voters in Switzerland will decide in a referendum Sunday whether to enshrine a stricter definition of the country’s centuries-old neutrality into the constitution.

A “yes” vote would effectively prevent Switzerland from imposing sanctions on Russia unless they were approved by the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow has veto power. It would also bar Bern from cooperating militarily with an alliance like NATO unless Switzerland itself came under attack or faced an imminent threat.

Russia has openly backed the initiative.

“It’s not a vote against neutrality — neutrality is very supported — it’s about what neutrality means,” said Fabio Wasserfallen, a professor of European politics at the University of Bern and a pollster at LeeWas.

But the referendum reaches beyond the Alpine nation. It raises the question of how neutral a country can remain in the current European security landscape — where Russia is waging war against Ukraine and the continent’s traditional reliance on U.S. security guarantees is under threat.

Other neutral nations such as Austria and Ireland are looking to increase defense spending and build closer ties with NATO.

Under the current system, Switzerland’s permanent neutrality is recognized in international law, but Bern retains discretion over how it applies its broader neutrality policy — and ultimately has the sovereign right to alter or abandon that status.

While it is barred from taking part in wars between states or providing military support, the government can decide whether to impose economic sanctions or cooperate with military alliances without joining them.

“Currently, the government has a bit of room to maneuver and uses it. The question of that referendum is whether people think that’s good or whether there should be stricter boundaries toward neutrality,” Wasserfallen said.

That flexibility came under pressure after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since February 2022, the Swiss government has largely mirrored the EU’s sanctions against Moscow, prompting a backlash among supporters of a stricter interpretation of neutrality.

The initiative grew out of that backlash. It was launched by Pro Schweiz, a national-conservative group closely associated with the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), with billionaire and former federal councilor Christoph Blocher a driving force behind the campaign.

The Swiss government opposes the proposal, as do all major political parties except the SVP.

“The initiative risks turning neutrality into isolation, and isolation in this world is not a very good security strategy,” argued Corina Gredig, a lawmaker from the Green Liberals.

Polling this month has also shown nearly two-thirds of voters oppose it.

POLITICO spoke to Swiss lawmakers and experts on both sides of the debate. They describe a referendum that puts Switzerland’s identity and standing in the world at stake, as well as the country’s appeal to business at a time of shifting opinions on security.

Balancing act

The roots of Swiss neutrality are often traced back to the Swiss Confederates’ defeat at the Battle of Marignano in 1515. It was formally recognized by other European countries in 1815 and enshrined in the constitution in 1848.

Switzerland managed to get through both world wars without officially taking a side — but there is only so far a nation can take neutrality when surrounded by armed conflict, explained Thomas Maissen, a Swiss historian and professor at the University of Heidelberg.

“During World War II, the Swiss government was very pragmatic: They declared neutrality and tried to stick to it as far as possible,” he said. “But the country was surrounded by the Axis powers after the defeat of France in 1940. There was no realistic way out other than to help Germany’s war effort.

“The country was neutral in theory, but everybody knew that economically, it was supporting the Third Reich,” he added.

The meaning of neutrality has evolved over time . Switzerland participated in economic sanctions against Iraq in 1990 and joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace in 1996.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s escalating hybrid operations on European soil have reshaped Switzerland’s security calculus and forced it to confront what neutrality means in practice. Bern is strengthening its defenses, boosting military spending and expanding cooperation with European partners.

A Swiss security strategy released earlier this month warns of a “drastically deteriorated” security landscape and calls for the procurement of long-range missiles and drones.

Since 2025, Bern has participated in selected projects under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation defense framework, or PESCO. Switzerland has also intensified its long-standing partnership with NATO with closer political dialogue and efforts to improve the Swiss military’s ability to operate alongside allied forces, including in areas such as air power, communications, space and resilience. However, Switzerland remains outside the alliance.

Supporters of the neutrality initiative argue that this shift has already gone too far — and that sanctions against Russia in particular compromised Switzerland’s traditional stance.

“Switzerland’s image as a neutral nation was tarnished,” said Samuel Sommaruga, a doctor who’s leading the Committee for International Geneva and Its Neutrality, which backs the initiative. “We’ve aligned ourselves with a bloc, we’ve followed Europe.”

Switzerland has a lot to lose, Sommaruga said. “Neutrality allows for a mediating role. It also brings economic stability, which helps attract capital.”

He also argued neutrality could protect Switzerland in the event of a wider military conflict between NATO countries and Russia. “If we serve as a channel for dialogue, no one will shoot the messenger.”

The Swiss government takes the opposite view: that turning neutrality into a rigid constitutional rule would constrain the country precisely as its security environment becomes more dangerous.

The Federal Council didn’t reply to a request for comment. Christoph Blocher’s office also declined to comment.

Even if this weekend’s referendum fails, Swiss voters face another neutrality question. In November, they will be asked to assess whether Switzerland’s arms export rules are still fit for purpose or whether the country should be allowed to export weapons to a defined group of 25 mostly Western countries, even if they are involved in an ongoing conflict.

If approved, that change would tighten Swiss ties with Western countries and could boost its defense industry’s export earnings.

Nicolas Camut contributed to this report.