Swiss voters reject neutrality and food initiatives decisively
Tuesday 29th September 2026 on 00:15 in
Switzerland
Swiss voters decisively rejected both national initiatives put to a referendum on Sunday, with 70.2 percent voting against the neutrality proposal and 72.5 percent against the food initiative. Turnout was average, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.
The neutrality initiative, backed by the Swiss People’s Party and Pro Switzerland, sought to enshrine “permanent and armed” neutrality in the constitution and largely prohibit Switzerland from adopting EU sanctions unless they were imposed by the UN Security Council. The food initiative called for a 70 percent self-sufficiency rate and a shift towards more plant-based food.
Neither proposal won support from a single canton, and both failed to secure a majority of cantons as well as a majority of voters.
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said the rejection of the neutrality initiative was “not a vote against neutrality.” Switzerland had been neutral in the past, remained neutral now and would continue to do so, he said. Cassis added that the country’s approach had adapted to circumstances over the past 180 years, and that rejecting the initiative would allow cooperation with neighbouring countries when it strengthened Swiss security.
Political scientist Urs Bieri of GFS Bern said the result showed that the Swiss People’s Party could not win referendums when it stood alone. He said the party had struggled to get its recommendations approved in votes, but that this did not threaten its prospects in the 2027 national elections. Its polarised stance and strong core issues could help it at the polls, Bieri said, adding that migration and Europe were likely to shape the election year.
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin said the food initiative had raised important issues and that discussion about the future of Swiss agriculture and food would continue. Markus Ritter, president of the Swiss Farmers’ Union, had opposed the proposal, warning that a 70 percent self-sufficiency rate would require the population to eat a largely plant-based diet.