Swiss Voters Reject Proposal to Strengthen Historical Neutrality

Swiss voters rejected a proposal to adopt a stricter form of neutrality than the country currently follows, which would have prevented it from imposing economic sanctions or cooperating with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Referendum results showed that more than two-thirds of those who voted rejected the proposal to enshrine a precisely defined version of neutrality in the Swiss Constitution. Switzerland’s traditional stance is based on the principle of “armed neutrality,” meaning it maintains strong military capabilities, and neutrality has been enshrined in the Swiss Constitution since 1848.