WEBVTT

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On September 27, 2026, Swiss voters
will decide on the Neutrality Initiative.

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But why is this initiative even necessary, given that
neutrality has been enshrined in the Federal Constitution

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since 1848 and 89 percent of Swiss citizens support it?

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The Federal Council asserts that the outcome of the
vote does not call Switzerland's neutrality into question.

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But is that really the case? Ultimately, this
is a matter of how one interprets neutrality.

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The Neutrality Initiative was launched because its proponents
believe that neutrality is not enshrined clearly

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enough in the Federal Constitution and has been
increasingly diluted and watered down in recent years.

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That is why the initiative calls for a stricter
policy of neutrality and seeks to include a new article in

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the Constitution to further enshrine this principle,

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● “that Switzerland’s neutrality is perpetual and armed;

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● that Switzerland shall not join any military or defense
alliance nor cooperate with such an alliance, unless Switzerland

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is under military attack or such an attack is being prepared;

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● that Switzerland does not participate in
military conflicts between third countries and

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does not impose sanctions on belligerent states.

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Excluded are United Nations (UN) sanctions and
measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions;

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● that Switzerland uses its neutrality to
its advantage in its role as a mediator.

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"The Federal Council and Parliament reject the
Neutrality Initiative without a counterproposal."

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This program analyzes the positions of the Federal
Council and Parliament and places them in a broader context.

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The aim is to determine whether
it stands up to critical scrutiny.

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Federal Council: “Switzerland is permanently neutral.”

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"Its neutrality is therefore already eternal."

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As I said, this is a matter of how we define “neutrality.”

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The vote is crucial for defining Swiss neutrality.

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Federal Council: “As a permanently neutral
state, Switzerland does not currently belong to

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any military or defense alliance (such as NATO).”

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A "yes" vote on the neutrality initiative is intended
to ensure that this remains the case in the future.

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After all, individual politicians repeatedly
raise the possibility of NATO membership

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or, at the very least, closer ties with NATO.

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Federal Council: “Security cooperation (with defense
alliances such as NATO) would be hampered by the initiative. (…)

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This would have serious consequences for Switzerland's security:

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"She would be (...) less well
protected in the event of an attack."

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Is that really true?

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The key question is whether NATO can
actually guarantee security and peace—or whether, on

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the contrary, it actually jeopardizes them.

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The NATO documentary explored this
question and found the following:

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In Europe, the possibility of war is more real
than it has been at any time since World War II.

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For decades, it has been evident that NATO has been fueling the
entire war-mongering agenda, whether through propaganda, threats

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such as NATO's eastward expansion, or actual military buildup.

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Kla.TV examined some of NATO's most significant
official operations, such as the one in Yugoslavia

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in 1999, Afghanistan after 9/11, and Libya in 2011.

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All these wars have one thing in common:

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The evils inflicted by the war were greater
than the supposed injustice it was meant to

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eliminate in order to secure peace in the country.

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This violates the principle of international humanitarian law.

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And these wars have one more thing in common:

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They were based on lies.

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In his book *Illegal Wars: How NATO Countries Sabotage the UN*,
Swiss historian Dr. Daniele Ganser has demonstrated how illegal

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wars have been waged—both in the past and in the present—without
a case for collective defense and without an explicit UN mandate.

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NATO cannot, therefore, be regarded as a guarantor of
“peacekeeping” —certainly not in Europe, and certainly not for

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the small country of Switzerland, which, thanks to its
neutrality, has successfully stayed out of wars for 200

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years and is equipped with its own army in case of an attack.

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Federal Council: “Switzerland already refrains from
participating in military conflicts between third countries.”

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No, not exactly.

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However, the initiative is intended to ensure that this
remains the case in the future and that Switzerland does

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not participate in military conflicts, even indirectly.

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Even those who participate in sanctions—such as
Switzerland in the war in Ukraine—are taking sides.

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Anyone who supplies weapons to war zones is not neutral either.

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Although it is currently prohibited to
export Swiss military equipment to countries

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involved in internal or international conflicts,

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However, as federal official statistics show,
this ban was nevertheless openly circumvented.

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According to this report, Switzerland
exported 17.5 billion francs worth of weapons from

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1975 to 2016—most of them to warring parties!

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In addition, there have been repeated discussions in the
past about possible relaxations of the arms export regulations.

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The Federal Council has now proposed granting the national
government the authority to export

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military equipment to 25 countries, even if those
countries are involved in armed conflicts.

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In principle, the transfer of weapons should also be permitted.

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In contrast, the referendum titled “No Swiss Weapons in
War Zones” was successfully launched in the spring of 2026.

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Now it must be put to a vote by the Swiss people.

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Federal Council: “Switzerland
already implements all UN sanctions.”

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"As a member of the UN, it is obligated to do so."

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This is precisely what the Neutrality Initiative aims to enshrine
in the Federal Constitution and ensure in the long term.

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Switzerland should only be allowed to
adopt UN sanctions against countries at war.

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EU sanctions would therefore be ruled out, since they are not
adopted by the internationally recognized UN Security Council.

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Federal Council: “Sanctions are a tool for
responding to violations of international law

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and threats to the international order. (…)”

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Under this initiative, Switzerland would no longer be
able to adopt many sanctions against countries at war.

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"This would have negative consequences for
Switzerland's interests and reputation and could, in certain

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cases, trigger negative reactions from other countries."

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Although Switzerland has not actively
participated in any war to date, it has allowed itself to

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be drawn into taking sides in the war in Ukraine.

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On February 28, 2022, it yielded to domestic and foreign policy
pressure and adopted the EU’s economic

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sanctions in their entirety—without taking its
previous policy of neutrality into account.

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The scope and the unconditional adoption
of the EU sanctions were unprecedented.

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Russia immediately declared Switzerland to no longer be neutral
and removed the country from its list of friendly nations.

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In his compelling essay “Sanctions Are War by Other Means,”
investigative journalist James Corbett examines the evolution

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of sanctions as an “economic weapon” in the 20th century.

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He explains that sanctions are a weapon of war that
starve and kill people by cutting off their food supply.

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Sanctions are therefore by no means effective
measures for responding to violations of

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international law, as the Federal Council claims.

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In fact, they often lead to the prolongation of
wars and usually affect the civilian population

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even more severely than the hostilities themselves.

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The results of a study conducted by researchers at the University
of Denver and the Center for Economic and Policy Research

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in Washington showed that the death toll from sanctions
was five times higher than that from war-related deaths.

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Federal Council: “The initiative committee’s call for
Switzerland to use its neutrality to play a mediating

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role and promote peace is already standard practice today.”

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Is that really true?

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Although the Federal Council maintains that
adopting the sanctions is compatible with neutrality, in

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practice, Switzerland’s role as a mediator is over:

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● Russia designated Switzerland as an “unfriendly state.”

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● This was followed by a deterioration in bilateral relations.

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Among other measures, Russia curtailed
diplomatic and political exchanges with Switzerland.

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● The Russian side also began to no longer
view Switzerland as a credible neutral mediator.

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This role was now taken on by countries such as Turkey and
Saudi Arabia, which portrayed themselves as neutral peacemakers,

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even though they are pursuing their own hard-nosed interests.

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By watering down its neutrality, Switzerland thus missed
the opportunity to make a significant contribution to peace.

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Federal Council: “Compared to current practice, the
initiative would limit the flexibility that allows us

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to protect our security, independence, and prosperity.”

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"This flexibility is especially important
when the security situation is deteriorating."

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It has already been pointed out that the exact opposite is true.

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By drawing closer to major allies such as NATO
and the EU, Switzerland is increasingly losing its

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independence and its role as a neutral mediator.

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This has been clearly demonstrated by the war in Ukraine.

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Only a clearly defined and legally binding neutrality, as
envisaged by the initiative, can reliably

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protect Switzerland from becoming entangled in
warmongering—the greatest enemy of prosperity.

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Conclusion: Prof. Dr. Wolf Linder, professor
emeritus at the University of Bern, sums it up as follows:

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"I hope that Switzerland will work to restore its
image as a neutral country that is credible to all sides."

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Because we live in a world that is not peaceful.

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There are more and more acts of war against other countries.

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"And this time, a neutral stance is important not only
for Switzerland, but probably for the whole world as well."

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If you want Swiss neutrality to be clearly enshrined
in the Constitution rather than further eroded, vote

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YES on the Neutrality Initiative on September 27, 2026.

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This is the only way Switzerland can maintain its
credibility as a peace mediator and contribute to world peace!