Swiss Social Democrats challenge arms law referendum booklet

Switzerland’s Social Democratic Party has filed a complaint over the government’s referendum booklet on the War Material Act, saying it could mislead voters about arms exports and Ukraine, SRF reports.

The law, due to go to a vote in late November, would generally allow Swiss-made arms to be transferred to a third country without Switzerland’s consent. But Swiss weapons would still not be allowed to go to Ukraine, a point the party says the booklet fails to make clear despite referring several times to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

SP co-president Mattea Meyer said the booklet should explicitly state that the revision would not help Ukraine. She also argued it would make arms deliveries to countries such as Israel or Saudi Arabia possible while continuing to prohibit them for Ukraine.

The SP also disputes the booklet’s account of human rights safeguards. The revision would allow the Federal Council, under certain conditions, to depart from the existing strict ban on exports to states with serious human rights violations. The Federal Chancellery says an exception would be possible only if the arms delivery itself did not directly contribute to human rights abuses, and sees no reason to amend the booklet.

The Chancellery has also rejected the SP’s request to clarify the Ukraine issue, saying the booklet does not promise that Ukraine will receive Swiss war material, directly or indirectly. The party is pursuing its complaint in the hope that corrections will be made before the vote.