THEODORA PETER SVP doyen and former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher is the mastermind behind the popular initiative “Safeguarding Swiss neutrality” (Neutrality Initiative). Blocher was unhappy that the Federal Council adopted the wide-ranging European Union sanctions against Moscow in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Financial sanctions, the freezing of assets, and import and export bans are some of the measures now in place. This was a “breach of neutrality”, lamented Blocher. Switzerland had itself become a party to the war “for reasons of pure opportunism” and had damaged its credibility as a neutral intermediary (see “Swiss Review” 6/2022). An initiative subsequently tabled by Pro Switzerland – the successor organisation to AUNS (the Campaign for an Independent and Neutral Switzerland), which Blocher founded 40 years ago – now wants “perpetual, armed neutrality” to be enshrined in the constitution. This would prohibit Switzerland from joining any military or defence alliance, while cooperation with an alliance such as NATO would only be permitted in the event of a direct military attack on Switzerland. The authors of the initiative explicitly Rigid or flexible? Neutrality in the spotlight Neutrality is part of Switzerland’s identity. But how far should it go? On 27 September, voters will decide on the “Neutrality Initiative” submitted by the right-wing Pro Switzerland association. The proposal advocates a strict interpretation of neutrality. want to ban what they call “compulsory, non-military measures against warring countries” of the type Switzerland has imposed on Russia. The only exempt measures would be sanctions approved by the UN Security Council. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Russia has consistently used its veto as a permanent member of the Security Council to block any substantive resolutions. The Federal Council had cited violations of international humanitarian law as the reason for joining the EU’s economic sanctions on Russia. “Playing into the hands of an aggressor is not neutral,” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (FDP) explained at the time. But the government ruled out supplying weapons and protective equipment to Ukraine. The international Former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher – shown here (centre) submitting the Neutrality Initiative to the Federal Chancellery in April 2024 – wants a strict definition of neutrality to be enshrined in the constitution. Photo: Keystone According to the results of a survey, a majority of the public want Switzerland to be able to impose sanctions on countries that violate international law. Swiss Review / July 2026 / No. 3 8 Politics
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