Swiss Voters Reject Proposal to Tighten Neutrality Rules and Curb Nato Cooperation

Swiss voters have decisively rejected a proposal to adopt a strict, narrower definition of neutrality that would have required Switzerland to curb its cooperation with Nato and abandon sanctions imposed on Russia, according to the Guardian.

About 70% of voters rejected the measure, with all of Switzerland's cantons voting against it, the report said. The proposal sought to tighten the country's centuries-old policy of neutrality, which supporters of the change argued had been eroded in recent years by measures such as sanctions against Russia.

The push for a stricter neutrality standard was associated with Switzerland's far right, which contended that closer cooperation with Nato and adherence to Western sanctions regimes were incompatible with the country's traditional non-aligned stance.

Switzerland has long maintained a policy of armed neutrality, staying outside military alliances including Nato while still engaging in various forms of international cooperation. The rejection of the proposal means the country's existing approach to neutrality, including its current sanctions policy, remains unchanged for now.

The vote reflects a broader debate under way in Switzerland over how strictly the country should interpret neutrality amid the continuing war in Ukraine and Western sanctions against Moscow.