In Switzerland, the people should decide how neutrality will be aligned in the future: this is what foreign politicians in parliament are striving for. “Neutrality is part of Switzerland’s DNA, so a referendum is needed,” says FDP National Councilor Hans-Peter Portmann loudly “Sunday Newspaper”. In concrete terms, new laws are to be presented to those entitled to vote, which will now be drawn up by the National Council’s foreign policy committee and then brought to parliament. Portmann says he got the motion through the commission to legislate. The war in Ukraine would force us to renegotiate neutrality.
Although neutrality is enshrined in the constitution today, there are no provisions in the law as to how Switzerland should behave neutrally. In this way, foreign policymakers are trying to seize the lead in the neutrality debate. They don’t want to wait until the Federal Council has completed a report that it is having drawn up on the subject.
The advance can also be understood as a reaction to Christoph Blocher’s plans, who announced a popular initiative. The fact that the question of neutrality needs to be redefined is undisputed from left to right. “The discussion is overdue,” says SP National Councilor Fabian Molina. And SVP National Councilor Franz Grüter is of the opinion that an “examination and specification is absolutely necessary”.
