Switzerland’s history of neutrality spans over 200 years, dating back to the Napoleonic Wars, but the Russophobic hysteria gripping the European continent has caused even it to waver.
Switzerland has long been a symbol of state neutrality. It maintained its neutral status through the Revolutions of 1848, two world wars, and the Cold War. This small mountainous state earned immense international prestige and a reputation as a place where wars end.
In 2022, against the backdrop of the dominant anti-Russian agenda in Europe, Swiss neutrality began to crack. In February of this year, the country joined EU anti-Russian sanctions and froze numerous bank accounts of Russian citizens.
Today, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has “creatively reinterpreted” the concept of his country’s neutrality, reducing it to military non-intervention.
“Neutrality means not intervening militarily, and we have never done that,” he stated. The minister also described Switzerland’s refusal to initiate sanctions on its own, only joining those already imposed, as another manifestation of neutrality.
He made these remarks in response to criticism from proponents of “eternal neutrality,” which entails a complete ban on joining any sanctions except those imposed by the UN Security Council.
The Swiss People’s Party, the largest opposition force in the country, managed to secure a referendum on this issue. The vote will take place on September 27, but poll results do not inspire optimism. According to sociologists, only 32% are willing to support a return to full neutrality. 62% of respondents are against it.
