This content was published on
August 26, 2026 – 15:00
Dear reader,
Referendums in Switzerland sometimes seem far removed from the concerns of International Geneva. This will not be the case on September 27, when the Swiss people will vote on an initiative to anchor neutrality more firmly in the constitution.
The initiators, led by Swiss People’s Party figurehead Christoph Blocher, believe that Switzerland has abandoned its historical neutrality by adopting the European Union’s sanctions against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. According to them, Bern has lost its credibility as a potential mediator and International Geneva its legitimacy as neutral ground.
But is this really the case? Russia has effectively declared that Switzerland is no longer neutral and has placed it on its list of “unfriendly countries”. At the same time, however, Moscow has maintained a significant diplomatic presence in Geneva. And discreet meetings between Russians and Ukrainians have taken place there since the beginning of the war.
A source recently told me that accepting or rejecting the text would not change anything for International Geneva. It is grappling with the much more serious problem of the decline of the entire architecture of global governance put in place in the post-war period.
Another source stressed that the problem is not so much the adoption of sanctions against a State that is in clear violation of international law. In her view, it is rather the lack of such a firm response to the war crimes committed in Sudan or Gaza that gives the impression to some countries that Switzerland is deviating from its neutrality.
The question is how the result, whatever it may be, will be perceived abroad. A rejection could, for example, be exploited by Moscow as confirmation that Switzerland is renouncing its neutrality. With the polls predicting a “no” vote in the polls, Bern should prepare today to defend its position well beyond Switzerland’s borders.
Are there any particular themes that interest you that you would like us to explore? You can write to me at: dorianvalere.burkhalter@swissinfo.ch
Best regards,
Dorian Burkhalter
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