Neutrality vote should spur bolder Swiss government, expert says

Switzerland’s government should take a more active role in international peacebuilding after voters decisively rejected a proposal for stricter neutrality, Swisspeace director Laurent Goetschel told SRF.

The result confirms the government’s approach to neutrality, which Goetschel said it has followed since at least 2022. He said the government has some discretion in applying neutrality: military neutrality is governed by international law, while political and economic matters require flexibility.

Goetschel said Switzerland should show that its neutrality benefits other countries, rather than presenting it as a way to shield itself or pursue its own advantage. He urged the government to engage more boldly in international initiatives, peacebuilding and good offices, saying neutral countries can contribute constructively in civilian fields.

He cautioned against drawing conclusions about a separate vote scheduled for November on easing the War Material Act. That proposal concerns creating better conditions for exports of weapons made in Switzerland, he said.

Goetschel is a political science professor at the University of Basel and heads Swisspeace, a peace foundation.