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POLITICS

Swiss move towards vote on reinforcing neutrality

Switzerland is set to vote on reinforcing its neutrality, Russia's war in Ukraine having reopened questions over the country's long-standing position on non-engagement in foreign conflicts.

Published: 20 March 2024 13:37 CET
Swiss move towards vote on reinforcing neutrality
Swiss Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

The sovereigntist organisation Pro Schweiz has collected more than enough signatures to launch a vote aimed at better anchoring Swiss neutrality in the country’s constitution, its vice president Walter Wobmann told Blick newspaper.

They want to restrict non-military measures such as sanctions, to prevent any closer ties with NATO and to rule out any military alliance except if attacked.

Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, citizens can trigger popular votes by collecting 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months.

“We collected nearly 140,000 signatures,” Wobmann said. “On April 11th, we will submit the initiative” to the federal authorities. “Until then, we will continue to collect signatures.”

Once petition signatures are submitted and verified, it generally takes months, or even years, before a vote takes place.

Switzerland’s traditional position is one of well-armed military neutrality.

It has refused to send arms to Kyiv or allow countries that hold Swiss-made weaponry to re-export it to Ukraine.

But it has matched the neighbouring European Union’s economic sanctions on Russia since the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine — a move vigorously denounced by the hard-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the biggest party in the country.

Matching the EU sanctions has also been criticised by Moscow, which no longer sees Switzerland as neutral territory for international negotiations and has blocked UN-sponsored talks on Syria from resuming in Geneva.

Fewer sanctions proposed

The Swiss constitution already ensures that parliament and the government must uphold Switzerland’s neutrality, but Pro Switzerland wants to go further.

Their vote proposal calls for the constitution to guarantee that Swiss neutrality is “armed and perpetual” and applied “permanently and without exception”.

Non-military coercive measures — namely sanctions — would also be prohibited, except when decided upon by the United Nations.

Pro Schweiz is also opposed to closer ties with NATO and wants the constitution to prohibit joining a military alliance, except in the event of a direct military attack against the country.

“Only when we are directly attacked could we ally ourselves with others. If we are turned into a party to war, we must defend ourselves,” said Wobmann, a former SVP lawmaker.

Swiss neutrality traces its roots back to 1516 and has been internationally recognised since 1815.

Switzerland cannot participate in wars between other countries, forge military alliances, or grant troops, weapons or territorial transit rights to warring parties.

All men are obliged to do military service and attend refresher courses for years afterwards.

The neutrality laws do not apply to civil wars, or military operations authorised by the UN Security Council.

Member comments

  1. “…They want to restrict non-military measures such as sanctions, to prevent any closer ties with NATO and to rule out any military alliance except if attacked” Being in an alliance is a two way street and joining one when attacked is already too late.

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POLITICS

Vital Swiss role as US-Iran go-between, as tensions soar

Washington and Tehran have not had diplomatic relations for decades, but before Iran's attack on Israel they had direct communications through "the Swiss channel".

Published: 15 April 2024 23:19 CEST
Vital Swiss role as US-Iran go-between, as tensions soar

Switzerland represents US interests in Iran, and at times of soaring tensions its role as go- between takes on heightened importance.

The Swiss foreign ministry refused Monday to divulge what actions the country had taken in connection with Iran’s weekend attack on Israel.

But US and Iranian officials alluded to the important role Switzerland was playing as an intermediary.

As Washington engaged in whirlwind efforts prior to the attack to prepare for the expected violence, it sent “a series of direct communications through the Swiss channel”, a senior administration official told AFP.

Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces’ chief of staff, was more explicit, telling state television that “we sent a message to America through the Swiss embassy that if it cooperates with Israel in their next potential actions, their bases will not be secure”.

 Maintaining relations 

Switzerland, renowned for its neutrality, has been representing US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations with Tehran after the 1980 hostage crisis, a year after the Iranian revolution.

In its role as the so-called protecting power, Switzerland has for decades allowed the two feuding nations to maintain a minimum of diplomatic and consular relations.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran handles all consular affairs between the United States and Iran, including passport requests, altering civil status and consular protection for US citizens in Iran.

Under the protecting power mandate, Switzerland allows “states to maintain low-level relations and provide consular protection to nationals of the other state concerned”, the foreign ministry explains on its website.

“Switzerland can either offer to act as a go-between on its own initiative or can fulfil this function at the request of the parties concerned, provided that all those involved agree,” it added.

Switzerland has often had to play the go-between role.

The country has on several occasions in recent years mediated in prisoner exchanges between Iran and the United States.

Iran’s interests in the United States are meanwhile represented by Pakistan.

Switzerland also exercises a range of other protecting power mandates.

It represents Iran’s interests in Egypt and Canada.

And it represented Iran’s interests in Saudi Arabia for five years before the two countries resumed diplomatic relations last year.

Saudi has not yet formally terminated Switzerland’s protecting power mandate, so Bern still handles its consular services in Iran.

And until 2015, it represented US interests in Cuba and Cuban interests in the United States.

Switzerland first acted as a protecting power in the 19th century. It looked after the interests of the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Grand Duchy of Baden in France during the 1870-71 Franco- Prussian War.

During World War II, Switzerland’s neutral status paved the way for it to be the main protecting power, representing the interests of 35 states, including the major warring powers, with more than 200 individual mandates.

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