Ticino narrowly rejects neutrality initiative as canton remains divided

Ticino rejected the neutrality initiative by 51.8 per cent, the narrowest no vote in Switzerland, according to SRF. The result highlights divisions in the southern canton, where neutrality carries particular weight but support for the proposal varied widely.

Ticino, like the Italian-speaking part of Graubünden, has traditionally been sceptical of foreign policy and sovereignty issues. Before the vote, an initial GFS poll showed a clear majority in Ticino in favour of the initiative, while a later poll found support and opposition roughly even.

The result did not reveal a clear urban-rural divide. All cities except Chiasso rejected the proposal, but mountain and valley communities were also split. Bedretto recorded the strongest support, with about 79 per cent voting yes, while the smaller municipality of Bosco Gurin rejected the initiative by a similarly clear margin.

SRF’s Ticino correspondent Iwan Santoro said non-interference in international conflicts is often given greater weight in the canton than in German-speaking Switzerland. The influential Swiss People’s Party and Lega dei Ticinesi also traditionally emphasise neutrality, independence and national sovereignty.

The canton is not more directly affected than the rest of Switzerland by major geopolitical conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, Santoro said. But its economy is closely tied to Italy. Conditions in northern Italy affect Ticino’s labour market, where about 80,000 cross-border workers are employed. Average wages in the canton are lower than in German-speaking Switzerland, and Ticino also competes with Italy, which uses tax incentives to attract wealthy residents.

These economic pressures can lead people in Ticino to see international integration more as a risk than an opportunity, contributing to scepticism about further openness, Santoro said.