The Swiss government has spoken out against the introduction of strict neutrality for the country
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis presented the government’s official position opposing an initiative by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which proposes enshrining in the Constitution “perpetual and armed” neutrality. The issue will be put to a nationwide referendum on September 27.
The government emphasizes that Switzerland remains a neutral state, but strict constitutional regulations would deprive the country of the flexibility needed to protect its own interests and security. Cassis stressed the need to clearly distinguish between military and non-military measures, and noted that neutrality does not mean indifference to violations of international rules, advocating for the maintenance of sanctions against Russia.
This was reported by SRF.
In Switzerland, defense companies have begun moving their production out of the country en masse. This is due to legislative restrictions related to neutrality.
The Council of the Cantons—the upper house of the Swiss Parliament—rejected, after hours of debate, a motion to allow the re-export of weapons, which would have enabled the supply of Swiss-made arms to Ukraine.
