The referendum in Switzerland on cooperation with NATO is an own goal for Moscow

In exactly one month’s time, on 27 September, Swiss citizens will be called upon to decide whether to amend the Constitution to define its traditional neutrality in more restrictive terms – which effectively amounts to a referendum on Switzerland’s cooperation with NATO, which has increased significantly over the past four years. The proposed popular initiative to ‘safeguard Swiss neutrality’ has been put forward by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), a far-right, nationalist and conservative party whose stance is by no means hostile towards Moscow. Ever since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland has joined the West in imposing sanctions against Moscow, and the constitutional amendment put to the referendum would make it more difficult for Bern to impose sanctions unless they are approved by the United Nations. The opinion polls published so far are quite clear: around 62 per cent of those surveyed intend to vote against the proposal, because public opinion has changed significantly in recent years, and people prefer to rely on the flexibility of the government and Parliament when it comes to decisions concerning national security.

One of the most interesting aspects of the referendum campaign is that it was primarily Russia’s direct intervention that is said to have swayed the ‘no’ vote: according to the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (SIC), for months Switzerland has been the target of a campaign by Moscow to influence the outcome of the vote, combining diplomatic interference, factual distortions and propaganda. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, intervened directly in the referendum campaign at the end of July, attacking the concept of ‘flexible neutrality’ – the term used by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to describe Switzerland’s current position – and drawing a reckless comparison with Bern’s proximity to Berlin during the Second World War.