21:59 - 31.08.2026

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August 31, Fineko/abc.az. On September 27, 2026, Switzerland will hold a national referendum on the "Neutrality Initiative" aimed at strictly enshrining perpetual and armed neutrality into the Federal Constitution.

The proposed constitutional amendment explicitly prohibits Switzerland from adopting autonomous or collective non-military sanctions against states involved in armed conflicts. The only permitted exceptions would be coercive measures directly mandated by the United Nations Security Council and anti-circumvention measures.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that if the initiative passes, Bern will be legally required to lift the existing sanction packages imposed on Russia since 2022. Given Russia's veto power at the UN Security Council, replacing them with UN-backed sanctions is virtually impossible. However, the Swiss Federal Council and Parliament strongly oppose the proposal, urging voters to reject it to maintain foreign policy flexibility.