The Swiss Rejected A Pro-Russian Initiative In A Referendum

• 27.09.2026, 16:57

It could have limited sanctions against Russia and cooperation with NATO.

A clear majority of Swiss voters rejected a referendum proposal to enshrine in the Constitution a definition of the country’s neutrality that would preclude sanctions against Russia and cooperation with NATO.

This is indicated by exit poll data and statistical models based on preliminary vote counts, according to the BBC.

According to the latest projections of the referendum results published by the state broadcaster SRF, more than two-thirds voted against the proposal to enshrine a narrow definition in the Swiss Constitution. Thirty minutes after voting ended, the gsf.bern model showed that 71% of voters had opposed the proposal.

The right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party proposed stipulating that Switzerland may only join international sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. In its view, Switzerland’s traditional neutrality had been undermined after Bern imposed sanctions against Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine.

The amendments proposed by the Swiss People’s Party also called for an end to close cooperation with any military alliances—unless the country faces an immediate threat of attack.

Opponents of the Swiss People’s Party portrayed its initiative as pro-Russian.

Switzerland has largely aligned itself with the European Union’s sanctions against Russia, which were imposed after February 2022. The country is not a member of NATO, but maintains fairly close relations with the alliance and participates in some of its programs.

Switzerland declared itself a neutral country in 1815 and enshrined that status in its Constitution in 1848. However, the text of the Constitution allows for a wide range of interpretations.

In 2022, Switzerland deemed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a violation of international law and joined the EU’s sanctions against Moscow.