Updated September 25, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT
BERN, Switzerland — The people of Switzerland are voting this weekend on whether to reinterpret their long tradition of neutrality.
For more than 200 years, the Swiss have stayed out of wars. Their neutral status was originally imposed on them by the big 19th-century European powers; France on one side, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the other - which wanted a buffer zone between them.
So, although not of their own choosing, neutrality allowed Switzerland to avoid the slaughter of two world wars, and, in later years, to use its neutral status to justify continuing its trade with repressive regimes, such as apartheid South Africa, that other governments had sanctioned.
That changed in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. After a few days' hesitation, Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, joined the EU's sanctions against Moscow, stopping trade, and freezing billions of dollars in Russian assets.
The move was welcomed by many younger Swiss. As its government agonised over how to react, Switzerland's cities had seen days of protests calling for solidarity with Ukraine.
But traditionalists were angry at what they saw as a weakening of neutrality. They collected the required signatures to force this weekend's nationwide vote, which would explicitly forbid Switzerland from joining economic sanctions unless they are approved by the UN Security Council – an unlikely prospect nowadays since the five permanent members (the U.S., China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom) agree on very little.
The proposal would enshrine neutrality in Switzerland's constitution, block the Swiss from joining military alliances like NATO, and define neutrality as permanent armed defence of Swiss territory only.
The campaign is led by the grand old man of the right-wing Swiss People's Party, 85-year-old Christoph Blocher. He has spent decades campaigning to keep Switzerland out of the European Union and even opposed the country's membership in the United Nations, which Switzerland ultimately joined in 2002.
Blocher claims his proposals will keep Switzerland safe. 'We've hurt our neutrality with these EU sanctions,' he told a rally of supporters. 'Now Russia thinks we're part of the war.' Campaign posters across the country sell the same idea, 'No war,' they promise, if voters say 'yes to Swiss neutrality.'
But opponents insist Switzerland cannot remain neutral in the face of clear injustice or unprovoked aggression. Fabian Molina, a member of parliament for the Social Democrats, sees Switzerland's refusal to join sanctions against apartheid South Africa as a shameful period in its history. 'We therefore supported directly the racist regime and prolonged apartheid in South Africa,' he said.
Not joining EU sanctions 'would put us in a similar situation now with Russia. And this is morally wrong.'
Molina is also somewhat suspicious of Blocher's motivations. The 85-year-old is a billionaire whose businesses traded with South Africa during apartheid, and also traded with Russia until 2022. 'With no sanctions, it's easier to trade with dirty regimes,' said Molina.
Opinion polls suggest Swiss voters too are also doubtful that Blocher's proposals for a stricter neutrality will keep them safe. Warfare is changing; this year, drones, believed to be Russian, were seen hovering over sensitive Swiss military sites.
The traditional armed neutrality, in which every family has a nuclear bunker, and every man serves in Switzerland's militia army, may not protect against the new threats.
The Swiss government also wants voters to reject the neutrality initiative. Ministers know the world is changing fast, with old friends becoming unreliable. The Patriot missiles and F35 fighter jets Switzerland planned to buy from the United States are either indefinitely delayed, much more expensive, or both.
New alliances, and new defence strategies, will have to be found urgently, and redefining neutrality on such strict lines could limit Switzerland's room for manoeuvre.
Copyright 2026 NPR