Which Neutrality for Which Switzerland?

What kind of neutrality does Switzerland want? Marie-Hélène Miauton argues that the question goes beyond a single popular vote. If voters refuse to define neutrality more precisely, she writes, they will effectively tell the world that Swiss neutrality already varies according to circumstances and is gradually losing substance.

The opposing choice carries its own cost. Clarifying the scope of neutrality would restrict the government's freedom of action. The initiative would, for example, prevent Switzerland from adopting sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

Miauton links the debate to Switzerland's relationship with the European Union. Some voters may reject the neutrality initiative while supporting Bilateral III in 2028. She describes them as pro-European voters who may ultimately favor EU membership.

In her view, those positions are connected. The European Union could not accept members, or countries closely aligned with it, rejecting its decisions and principles in the name of a strict and uncompromising neutrality. Voters who choose closer European integration, she argues, have therefore already chosen a side and are not deeply committed to neutrality.