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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.

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

Swiss earmark 10 million francs for UNRWA in Gaza

Switzerland is proposing to give $11 million to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, specifically for tackling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza triggered by the war between Israel and Hamas.

Swiss earmark 10 million francs for UNRWA in Gaza

The government’s proposal, announced Wednesday after weeks of procrastination, represents half of the amount which was initially set to be paid to the UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency) in 2024.

“Switzerland’s 10 million Swiss francs contribution to UNRWA will be restricted to Gaza and will cover the most pressing basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, basic healthcare and logistics,” a government statement said.

Switzerland “is fully aware of the critical nature of this situation and recognises the urgent need for action”.

UNRWA, which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza, has been in crisis since January when Israel accused about a dozen of its 13,000 Gaza employees of being involved in the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel.

This led many donor nations, including the United States and Switzerland, to abruptly suspend funding to the agency, threatening its efforts to deliver desperately-needed aid in Gaza, where the UN has warned of an impending famine.

An independent review group of UNRWA, led by French former foreign minister Catherine Colonna, found some “neutrality-related issues” but said Israel had yet to provide evidence for its chief allegations.

In making its decision, the Swiss government said it “drew on the analysis of the Colonna report and coordination with other donors”.

The government’s decision must still be submitted to parliament’s foreign affairs committees for consultation.

On April 30th, the Swiss head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said that of the $450 million in funding that had been frozen by donors, $267 million was still suspended, the bulk of it by Washington.

Gaza’s bloodiest-ever war began following Hamas’s unprecedented October 7th attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has conducted a retaliatory offensive that has killed more than 34,800 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Switzerland “reiterates its call for a humanitarian ceasefire, unhindered access for emergency aid to Gaza, compliance with international humanitarian law, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” the government said.

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