Swiss neutrality: Difference between revisions

'''Swiss neutrality''' is oneOne of the main principles of [[Foreign relations of Switzerland|Switzerland's foreign policy]] which dictatesis that [[Switzerland]] is not to be involved in armed conflicts between other states.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/politics_and_neutrality_switzerland|title=Domestic Politics and Neutrality (Switzerland) &#124; International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1)|website=encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net}}</ref> This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external security and promote peace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/neutrality-remains-a-core-principle/291974|title=Neutrality remains a core principle|website=SWI swissinfo.ch|date=25 May 2007 }}</ref>

[[Switzerland]] has the oldest policy of [[Neutral country|military neutrality]] in the world;<ref>[https://www.adducation.info/general-knowledge-politics-religion/all-neutral-countries/ List of Neutral Countries]. Adducation. 2016. Downloaded Sep. 17, 2017.</ref> it has not participated in a foreign war since its neutrality was established by the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)#Act on the Neutrality of Switzerland|Treaty of Paris]] in 1815,. althoughHowever, the country did have a [[Sonderbund War|civil war]] in 1847.

Although the European powers ([[Austria]], [[France]], [[the United Kingdom]], [[Portugal]], [[Prussia]], [[Russia]], [[Spain]] and [[Sweden]]) agreed at the [[Congress of Vienna]] in May 1815 that Switzerland should be neutral, final ratification was delayed until after [[Battle of Waterloo|Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated]] so that some [[Hundred Days|coalition forces]] could invade France via Swiss territory.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Thomas Fleiner |author2=Alexander Misic |author3= Nicole Töpperwien |title=Swiss Constitutional Law |page=28 |publisher=[[Kluwer Law International]] |date=5 August 2005 |isbn=978-9041124043}}</ref>

The country has a history of [[armed neutrality]] going back to the [[Reformation in Switzerland|Reformation]]; it has not been in a state of war internationally since 19181815<ref duringname=":2">{{Cite theweb brief|last=Sheldon Swiss|first=Huntington D. |author-Bavarianlink=Huntington D. Sheldon |date=1955-04-23 |title=A short history of Switzerland's neutrality |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP91T01172R000300060017-6.pdf |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2024 |title=The History of Switzerland |url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/politik-geschichte/geschichte-der-schweiz.html |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Swissinfo}}</ref> apart from the [[Sonderbund War]] (Switzerland civil war), joining the [[League of Nations]] in 1920<ref name=":2" /> and did not join the [[United Nations]] until 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moving towards the UN in slow motion|url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/moving-towards-the-un-in-slow-motion/291972|website=Swissinfo|date=25 May 2007 |access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> It pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world.<ref name=Oppenheim-176>Lassa Oppenheim, Ronald Roxburgh (2005). ''International Law'', The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. {{ISBN|978-1-58477-609-3}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=vxJ1Jwmyw0EC&pg=PA173 p. 173]</ref><ref>''The Parliamentary Debates from the Year 1803 to the Present Time'', Volume 32 (1 February to 6 March 1816), Hansard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=I8ETAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1231 p. 308]</ref>

On February 28, 2022, Switzerland imposed [[economic sanctions]] on [[Russia]] and froze a significant amount of assets held by Russian civilians and companies as "punishment" for the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|invasion of Ukraine]]. This wasSome described by somethis as "a sharp deviation from the country's traditional neutrality."<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Shields |first1=Michael |last2=Koltrowitz |first2=Silke |date=February 28, 2022 |title=Neutral Swiss adopt EU sanctions against Russia in break with past |website=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/neutral-swiss-adopt-sanctions-against-russia-2022-02-28/ |access-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228135146/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/neutral-swiss-adopt-sanctions-against-russia-2022-02-28/ |archive-date=2022-02-28 }}</ref> According to Swiss president [[Ignazio Cassis]] in 2022 during a [[World Economic Forum]] speech, the laws of neutrality for Switzerland are based on The Hague agreement principles which include "no participation in wars; international cooperation but no membership in any military alliance; no provision of troops or weapons to warring parties and no granting of transition rights".<ref name="YouTube 2022">{{cite web | title=Welcoming Remarks and Special Address – Davos – #WEF22 | website=YouTube | date=2022-05-27 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTfW-cchpYA | access-date=2022-05-27}}</ref>

The [[League of Nations]] formally recognized Swiss neutrality on February 13, 1920.<ref name="WhyNeutral"/><ref>{{cite magazine | last1=Latson | first1=Jennifer | title=Switzerland Takes a Side for Neutrality | url=httphttps://time.com/3695334/switzerland-neutrality-history/ | date=February 13, 2015 | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | access-date=February 18, 2017}}</ref> While the policy was not universally admired, it was respected by other countries. As a tribute, the world organization even chose [[Geneva]] as its [[headquarters]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Switzerland|last1=Czupryn|first1=Adriana|last2=Omilanowska|first2=Malgorzata|last3=Schwendimann|first3=Ulrich|publisher=Penguin Random House|year=2017|isbn=9781465460011|location=New York|pages=46}}</ref> It also exempted Switzerland from military obligations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=European Neutrals and Non-Belligerents During the Second World War|last=Wylie|first=Neville|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2001|isbn=0521643589|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=332–333}}</ref> However, the country was forced to adopt the so-called "differential neutrality", which required Switzerland to participate in economic sanctions while preserving its military neutrality, a policy initially welcomed to establish the Swiss solidarity with international efforts to promote a peaceful world order.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Swiss Foreign Policy, 1945-2002|last=Fischer|first=Gabriel|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2003|isbn=9781403912756|location=New York|pages=49}}</ref> By March 1938, however, the Swiss government was increasingly becoming averseopposed to this type of neutrality and reverted to absolute neutrality. The shift was not only a case of the Swiss realizing the value of their traditional policies but was also attributed to the deteriorating European economic and political relations in a period preceding World War II.<ref name=":0" />

It joined the [[United Nations]] after [[2002 Swiss referendums|a March 2002 referendum]]. 10 years after Switzerland joined the [[United Nations|UN]], in recorded votes in the [[United Nations General Assembly]], Switzerland occupied a middle position, siding from time to time with member states like the United States and Israel, but at other times with countries like China. In the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] Switzerland sided much more with Western countries and against countries like China and Russia.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hug |first1=Simon |last2=Wegmann |first2=Simone |date=2013 |title=Ten years in the United Nations: Where does Switzerland stand? |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spsr.12034 |journal=[[Swiss Political Science Review]] |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=212–232 |doi=10.1111/spsr.12034 |issn=1424-7755}}</ref>

The [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] sparked debate over the meaning and status of Swiss neutrality.<ref>{{cite web | last=O'Sullivan | first=Domhnall | title=How two years of war in Ukraine have marked Switzerland | website=SWI swissinfo.ch | date=24 February 2024 | url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/foreign-affairs/russia-ukraine-war-how-switzerland-has-reacted-to-two-years-of-conflict-in-europe/72897134 | access-date=4 March 2024}}</ref> In February 2022, Switzerland adopted [[International sanctions during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine#EU sanctions|sanctions imposed by the European Union]] against Russia in response to the invasion.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Shields |first1=Michael |last2=Koltrowitz |first2=Silke |date=2022-02-28 |title=Neutral Swiss join EU sanctions against Russia in break with past |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/neutral-swiss-adopt-sanctions-against-russia-2022-02-28/ |access-date=2022-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Illien |first=Noele |date=2022-03-07 |title=Switzerland joined in sanctions, but Russia's oil, metals and grains still trade there |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/business/russia-switzerland-sanctions.html |access-date=2022-03-08 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Switzerland adopts EU sanctions against Russia |url=https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-87386.html |access-date=2022-10-13 |location=Switzerland |publisher=Federal Council}}</ref> While Switzerland follows [[Neutral country#Rights and responsibilities of a neutral power|defined rules]] to remain neutral in military conflicts, it imposed sanctions for this "serious violation of the most fundamental norms of international law ... within the scope of its political room for manoeuvre".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/newsuebersicht/2022/03/neutralitaet.html | title=Questions and answers on Switzerland's neutrality |location=Switzerland |publisher=Federal Council |date=9 September 2022 |access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref>

According to federal councilor [[Viola Amherd]], Switzerland is only involved in humanitarian missions and will not allow direct shipments of arms to the war zone from or through its territory.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/srf-news-spezial/video/medienkonferenz-des-bundesrats-zum-krieg-in-der-ukraine?urn=urn:srf:video:6c961cf6-19ae-455c-8991-f878ba748354 |title=Medienkonferenz des Bundesrats zum Krieg in der Ukraine |trans-title=Media conference of the Federal Council on the war in Ukraine |publisher=[[Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen]] |lang=de,fr,it |access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref> Irrespective of the actual laws governing a [[neutral country]], many media outlets still labelled this as a break with 500 years of Swiss neutrality.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 28, 2022 |first=Alex |last=Seitz-Wald |title='A new Europe' united against Russia – even neutral Switzerland |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/-new-europe-united-russia-even-neutral-switzerland-rcna18028 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Sam |date=2022-02-28 |title=Swiss break neutrality tradition to match EU sanctions on Russia |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/80c268fa-61d4-42ac-a9f4-310f12678c43 |access-date=2022-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Switzerland drops neutrality, backs EU sanctions on Russia, Putin. Get the latest. |agency=Associated Press |date=February 28, 2022 |url=https://www.koamnewsnow.com/i/switzerland-drops-neutrality-backs-eu-sanctions-on-russia-putin-get-the-latest/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=KOAM |language=en-US |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327032046/https://www.koamnewsnow.com/i/switzerland-drops-neutrality-backs-eu-sanctions-on-russia-putin-get-the-latest/ |archive-date=2022-03-27}}</ref> Russia perceived the sanctions in a similar way, as it rejected Switzerland's offer to mediate the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!--not stated--> |title=Russia rejects Swiss plan to act as a go-between with Ukraine |date=11 August 2022 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/11/russia-rejects-swiss-plan-to-act-as-a-go-between-with-ukraine |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2022, former [[Federal Council (Switzerland)|Swiss federal councilor]] [[Christoph Blocher]] announced the [[ballot initiative]] 'Pro Souveräne Schweiz' (PSS), which would amend "integral neutrality" to the [[Swiss constitution]]. If approved, economic sanctions for example against Russia in 2022, would constitute a violation of Swiss neutrality. The initiative scheduled to be launched in fall 2022 iswas supported by the right-leaning [[Swiss People's Party]] (SVP).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blick.ch/politik/neutralitaets-initiative-blocher-will-im-herbst-loslegen-id17488514.html |title=Blocher will im Herbst loslegen |language=de |website=Blick |date=14 May 2022 |access-date=26 August 2023}}</ref>

In September 2022 the [[Parliament of Switzerland]] voted against a revision of its law to impose independent sanctions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Eigenständige Schweizer Sanktionen sind vorerst vom Tisch |trans-title=Independent Swiss sanctions off the table for the time being |url=https://www.parlament.ch/de/services/news/Seiten/2022/20220929130242730194158159038_bsd115.aspx |access-date=2022-10-13 |publisher=Swiss[[Federal ParliamentAssembly (Switzerland)|Federal Assembly]]}}</ref> Therefore Switzerland can still only adopt sanctions imposed by the [[United Nations Security Council]], the [[European Union|EU]] or the [[OECD]].<ref name=":1" />