Neutrality initiative starts without Blocher

The go-ahead for the neutrality initiative has been given. The initiative aims to largely prohibit Switzerland from joining defense alliances and accepting or imposing sanctions. The initiators have until May 2024 to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to make this happen.

The text of the citizens’ initiative and the collection period were published in the Government Gazette on Tuesday. The “eternal and armed neutrality” must be enshrined in the constitution.

Peace missions still possible

According to the proposed Article 54a, Switzerland is not allowed to join any military or defense alliance. An exception is cooperation with such alliances in a direct military attack on Switzerland. However, according to the committee, training with foreign partners will still be allowed and military peacekeeping operations can be approved by parliament.

Switzerland is prohibited from taking “non-military coercive measures” against belligerent states. Consequently, it may no longer participate in sanctions or impose such sanctions itself. According to the initiative, Switzerland will not be allowed to take on EU sanctions against Russia after the attack on Ukraine.

However, Switzerland’s obligations to the UN are excluded from the ban. Switzerland must also be able to prevent sanctions from other countries from being circumvented with its own measures.

Schwez is supposed to be a mediator

The initiators also want to stipulate in the constitution that Switzerland will use its permanent neutrality to prevent and resolve conflicts. She must be available as a mediator and maintain good relations with all states. The committee sees neutrality as a means of promoting peace.

The initiative committee is chaired by Solothurn SVP National Councilor Walter Wobmann. Switzerland is increasingly succumbing to a policy of sentences that simply repeat what is currently international custom, Wobmann told media in Bern on Tuesday. This “swim-in” policy offends other states.

The committee is particularly concerned about the adoption of EU sanctions against Russia. The whole world – from US President Joe Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin – has recognized that Switzerland is no longer neutral, the initiative committee said.

Blocher not on the committee

In particular, former federal councilor Christoph Blocher (82) had campaigned for the neutrality initiative in recent months and weeks. Blocher is not a member of the initiative committee. The Neutrality Initiative association supports the initiative; he is supported by the newly founded association Pro Schweiz.

Pro Switzerland was founded in October in the presence of Blocher. In addition to the campaign for an independent and neutral Switzerland (AUNS), the organization “No to creeping EU accession” and the “Entrepreneurs’ Association against EU accession” have merged into this association.

SVP faction leader Thomas Aeschi (43) and former SVP national councilor Hans-Ueli Vogt (52), one of the candidates for the seat of the outgoing federal councilor Ueli Maurer (71), also have seats on the impartial initiative committee. The pro-Swiss president Stephan Rietiker (66) is also a member of the committee.

Federal Council against

Today, the Federal Constitution provides that the Federal Council and Parliament must take measures to safeguard Switzerland’s neutrality. The rights and obligations of a neutral state are governed by the neutrality law in accordance with the 1907 Hague Convention, as the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes.

The Federal Council does not consider it expedient to write a more extensive anchoring of the core content of neutrality in the constitution and also in laws. This would limit Switzerland’s leeway in security and foreign policy.

The current neutrality policy was established in 1993 and has been put into practice ever since. According to the Bundesrat, current practice offers sufficient leeway to respond to the consequences of the war in Ukraine. He rejected a redefinition in the sense of the “cooperative neutrality” brought into play by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (61). (SDA)