Swiss Voters Reject Proposal to Harden Neutrality Principle

Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to introduce a more rigid enforcement of the country's neutrality principle. The proposal, which was backed by Russia, would have made imposing sanctions against Moscow more difficult. According to early official results, around 68% of participants voted against the 'safeguard Swiss neutrality' initiative. The Swiss government and Parliament had advised rejecting the proposal, citing the country's current neutrality regime as effective. The rejection maintains Switzerland's ability to impose sanctions on Russia, largely in line with the EU's sanctions.