In Switzerland, a referendum is being held on Sunday, September 27, on enshrining a significantly stricter principle of neutrality in the Constitution. If the initiative is supported, the country will no longer be able to join sanctions against states involved in wars, with the exception of UN sanctions, BBC reports, writes UNN.
Details
One of the immediate consequences could be a review of the current sanctions against Russia. The Swiss government officially states that, if the initiative is approved, the existing restrictions against states at war would likely have to be lifted. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bern largely joined the EU sanctions.
The initiative also provides that Switzerland should not join or cooperate with military or defense alliances. An exception would be possible if the country itself were subjected to a military attack or such an attack were being directly prepared.
Cooperation with NATO also called into question
Switzerland is not currently a member of NATO either, but it cooperates with other states in the security sphere. The country’s government warns that the new rules would significantly limit such interaction and Bern’s ability to respond to international crises.
The Swiss Federal Council and Parliament opposed the initiative. Its supporters, by contrast, believe that stricter rules would prevent the authorities from interpreting neutrality arbitrarily and help preserve the country’s role as an international mediator.
Swiss neutrality has been enshrined in the Constitution since 1848. The current referendum concerns not abandoning it, but how strict the rules governing its application should be in the future.