Is Switzerland's neutrality at a crossroads?
Switzerland is holding a national referendum to decide whether to codify its long-standing neutrality into its constitution. The vote follows the government's decision to join EU sanctions against Russia, which sparked debate among traditionalists and younger citizens.
Why it matters
This vote could fundamentally alter Switzerland's foreign policy and its historical role as a neutral mediator in international conflicts.
BERN, Switzerland — The people of Switzerland are voting this weekend on whether to reinterpret their long tradition of neutrality.
For more than 200 years, the Swiss have stayed out of wars. Their neutral status was originally imposed on them by the big 19 th -century European powers; France on one side, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the other - which wanted a buffer zone between them.
So, although not of their own choosing, neutrality allowed Switzerland to avoid the slaughter of two world wars, and, in later years, to use its neutral status to justify continuing its trade with repressive regimes, such as apartheid South Africa, that other governments had sanctioned.
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