Swiss voters on Sunday appeared to reject a proposal to tighten their country’s neutrality, dealing a blow to an initiative championed by the hard-right and dubbed “pro-Russian” by opponents, according to an initial exit poll projection.
The Swiss widely embrace their neutrality, but the initiative to enshrine a strict definition into the constitution exposed deep disagreement over what that neutrality entails.
The proposal was rejected by 71 percent of voters, according to an initial projection by polling institute gsf.bern published 30 minutes after the last polling stations closed.
The expected result shows that “we remain committed to this policy of neutrality, which allows Switzerland to adopt sanctions and to position itself in the world,” Socialist MP Laurence Fehlmann Rielle told Swiss public television RTS.
The Swiss widely embrace their neutrality, but an initiative to enshrine a strict definition into the constitution has exposed deep disagreement over what that neutrality entails.
Switzerland’s traditional position is one of well-armed military neutrality, but Russia’s war in Ukraine reopened questions over its non-engagement in foreign conflicts.
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Concerned over Bern’s decision to back the European Union’s economic pressure, the pro-sovereignty Pro Switzerland organisation collected enough signatures to trigger a public vote under the country’s direct democracy system on better anchoring neutrality in its constitution.
The proposal has been roundly rejected by nearly the entire political establishment, with opinion polls indicating most voters will do the same.
Moscow, which has slammed Switzerland for joining the EU sanctions and accused Bern of abandoning its neutrality, has meanwhile praised the initiative — dubbed “pro-Russian” by some opponents.
The proposal called for the constitution to guarantee that Swiss neutrality is “armed and perpetual”.
It would have prevented Switzerland, whose neutrality dates back to 1516 and has been internationally recognised since 1815, from establishing closer ties with NATO and would rule out any military alliance except if the country were attacked.
And it would have also prohibited imposing sanctions unless called for by the United Nations.
‘Perpetual armed neutrality’
All sides in the debate argued that they want to maintain Switzerland’s neutrality.
Both the Swiss government and parliament opposed the proposal, arguing it is too dogmatic and would limit the country’s room for manoeuvre at a time of soaring geopolitical tensions.
“Neutrality has always been applied with a degree of flexibility,” Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis insisted during a recent televised debate.
While Switzerland had no plans to lift a ban on selling arms to countries in conflict, including Ukraine, he stressed that “neutrality does not mean indifference”.
The country, he said, would “not look away when we see violations of the very international rules that allow us to live in peace”.
Nearly all major political parties opposed the initiative, with the exception of the hard-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) — Switzerland’s largest.
This photograph shows an campaign poster against a food security initiative reading ‘My meal, my choice. No to the vegan diktat!’ displayed along a road near Oulens-sous-Echallens, western Switzerland, on September 25, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
“Our goal is to foster peace, diplomacy and dialogue,” SVP vice president Celine Amaudruz said during a televised debate.
“To achieve that, we must maintain credibility through perpetual armed neutrality,” she insisted.
While initial opinion polls had indicated that the vote might be tight, the final two surveys suggested a clear majority of voters — well above 60 percent — would reject the initiative.
Polls also suggested voters would reject the other national initiative on Sunday’s ballot, put forward by a non-partisan citizen’s movement and calling for the country to raise its food self-sufficiency rate to 70 percent, up from 42 percent in 2024.
The government has warned that target would be difficult if not impossible to reach, while most major parties also rejecting it as unrealistic.
