Millions failed to secure victory for Swiss neutrality initiative

The Swiss neutrality initiative was decisively rejected despite a campaign budget of 5.7 million francs on the supporters’ side, three times the amount available to opponents, SRF reported. The campaign illustrates why heavy spending does not guarantee success at the ballot box, says political scientist Marc Bühlmann of the University of Bern.

Bühlmann, who directs the Année Politique Suisse research centre, said political advertising is unlikely to change many minds because it is mostly seen by people who are already politically engaged and have formed an opinion. It can also mobilise opponents as well as supporters.

The campaign was closely associated with former Swiss Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher of the Swiss People’s Party. Blocher contributed almost 4 million francs, an amount Bühlmann said was unprecedented for a single donor. But it is difficult to measure his precise impact: campaign funding has only had to be disclosed since 2024. Blocher may have encouraged some people to back the initiative while prompting others to vote against it, Bühlmann said.

Disclosure rules require campaigns to report donations above 15,000 francs when they are given directly to organisations officially leading a campaign.

Among the campaigns listed, the initiative “No to a 10-million Switzerland” had the largest budget, at 16.3 million francs. Its opponents spent about 9.6 million, including almost 5 million from business association Economiesuisse. The campaign over motorway expansion had 9.7 million francs, with the two sides’ budgets nearly even: 5.2 million for supporters and 4.5 million for opponents.

The campaign over the SRG initiative raised 7.5 million francs, while the votes on abolishing imputed rental value, the 13th AHV pension and the biodiversity initiative had budgets of 7.1 million, 6.9 million and 6.2 million francs respectively.