WEBVTT 00:01.507 --> 00:10.022 On September 27, 2026, the Swiss people will vote on an initiative that will have major 00:10.022 --> 00:15.723 implications even beyond Switzerland’s borders: 00:15.723 --> 00:23.567 The Neutrality Initiative aims to define how Swiss neutrality will be interpreted in the future, as the 00:23.567 --> 00:32.414 initiative’s proponents believe that neutrality has been increasingly diluted and eroded in recent years. 00:32.414 --> 00:40.776 According to Walter Wobmann, the president of the initiative committee, neutrality does not only protect Switzerland. 00:40.776 --> 00:48.777 It also serves as the foundation of Switzerland's global peace policy and makes it possible to conduct 00:48.777 --> 00:54.492 peace negotiations, act as a mediator, and provide aid. 00:54.492 --> 01:03.028 Georges Martin, a former Swiss diplomat, explains the significant mediation efforts Switzerland was 01:03.028 --> 01:08.488 able to carry out during his tenure from 1980 to 2017: 01:08.488 --> 01:13.512 "Switzerland's foreign policy has always been one of neutrality. 01:13.512 --> 01:22.293 What does that mean? Countries that were having problems with each other came to us and asked if they could help. 01:22.293 --> 01:28.099 There have been numerous examples in Africa—Chad, Mali, etc. 01:28.099 --> 01:35.576 When I was in Indonesia, the Indonesians viewed Switzerland as the epitome of neutrality. 01:35.576 --> 01:43.516 In Aceh, Indonesia, we helped bring an end to the 30-year civil war following the tsunami. 01:43.516 --> 01:48.524 Switzerland played a helpful role in the Iranian nuclear talks in Geneva. 01:48.524 --> 01:54.722 The Lebanon talks took place in Switzerland and with Swiss assistance. 01:54.722 --> 02:03.011 Switzerland also supported the negotiations in Colombia between the FARC guerrilla group and the government. 02:03.011 --> 02:13.397 After the war between Russia and Georgia, we represented Russian interests in Tbilisi and Georgian interests in Moscow. 02:13.397 --> 02:17.983 There isn't a single continent where we haven't been active. 02:17.983 --> 02:28.235 "Hardly a week went by without reports on Switzerland's activities regarding peace and peace negotiations." 02:28.235 --> 02:35.129 Georges Martin points out that there are not many Western countries left that are still neutral. 02:35.129 --> 02:40.766 Therefore, it is Switzerland's responsibility to show courage in this regard and to keep bringing up 02:40.766 --> 02:44.967 the topics of negotiations, peace, and human rights. 02:44.967 --> 02:55.250 Swiss political scientist and lawyer Prof. Wolf Linder, along with other left-wing and Green voices, is campaigning for 02:55.250 --> 03:00.672 the neutrality initiative on the website swissneutralitynow.ch. 03:00.672 --> 03:06.643 He says: “In my view, neutrality should not be defined merely as a Swiss principle, but as a 03:06.643 --> 03:10.265 guiding principle for foreign policy worldwide. 03:10.265 --> 03:19.200 "And this time, a neutral stance is important not only for Switzerland, but probably for the whole world as well." 03:20.914 --> 03:28.897 Helmut Scheben, a former editor of the left-wing weekly newspaper WOZ and a longtime reporter and news anchor 03:28.897 --> 03:36.341 for Swiss television SRF, also commented on the neutrality initiative in a short video. 03:36.341 --> 03:45.076 In it, he analyzes several statements made at the "No" Committee's press conference by representatives of the FDP, 03:45.076 --> 03:50.759 Die Mitte, and the SP, and points out their contradictions. 03:50.759 --> 03:52.845 Scheben speaks plainly: 03:52.845 --> 04:01.715 Switzerland's tradition and its role as a model neutral country have long since been broken—specifically since 04:01.715 --> 04:10.263 February 2022, when Switzerland adopted the EU's sanctions against Russia with immediate effect. 04:10.263 --> 04:20.172 This has shown the whole world which side Switzerland is on and that it is participating in this war against Russia. 04:20.172 --> 04:28.909 In his view, the so-called peace conference at Bürgenstock, which Switzerland organized, is further evidence of this. 04:28.909 --> 04:32.347 Russia did not participate in it at all. 04:32.347 --> 04:37.216 "What kind of farce is this?" Scheben asks. 04:37.216 --> 04:47.710 Watch the full video below, in which Helmut Scheben critically analyzes and dissects the "No" Committee's press conference. 04:47.710 --> 04:54.556 The video was kindly provided to Kla.TV by Transition TV (TTV). 04:54.556 --> 04:57.814 Help put an end to this "farce": 04:57.814 --> 05:06.690 Share this broadcast and support credible Swiss neutrality—by voting a clear “Yes” on the 05:06.690 --> 05:12.678 Neutrality Initiative on September 27, 2026! 05:16.655 --> 05:22.084 This statement by Ms. Schönenberger is almost reminiscent of George Orwell and 05:22.084 --> 05:26.006 “Newspeak,” where reality is simply turned upside down. 05:26.006 --> 05:31.149 It is said that the neutrality initiative represents a break with our tradition. 05:31.149 --> 05:32.899 In fact, the exact opposite is true. 05:32.899 --> 05:35.961 We broke with that tradition a long time ago. 05:35.961 --> 05:43.660 We organized a peace conference on the Bürgenstock—a so-called peace conference—in which Russia did not participate at all. 05:43.660 --> 05:50.785 What kind of farce are we putting on here? This is unbelievable. 05:54.222 --> 06:05.375 My name is Helmut Scheben. I grew up in Germany, where I studied Romance languages and literature and earned my doctorate. 06:05.375 --> 06:14.113 After that, I worked in Latin America for a long time and, if I remember correctly, came to Switzerland in 1985. 06:14.113 --> 06:20.899 I first worked at the left-leaning weekly newspaper “WOZ,” and then spent nearly 20 years at Swiss 06:20.899 --> 06:26.200 Television, most of that time on the “Tagesschau” news program. 06:26.200 --> 06:31.177 Today I would like to refer to the press conference held on August 17. 06:31.177 --> 06:37.704 Let's take a look at some of the things that were said. 06:37.704 --> 06:43.501 The proponents are selling their initiative as a contribution to our safety. 06:43.501 --> 06:51.777 They claim that a particularly strict interpretation of neutrality protects us from being drawn into military conflicts. 06:51.777 --> 07:01.372 That is incorrect. First, Switzerland is neutral today and does not participate in the military conflicts of other countries. 07:01.372 --> 07:05.630 Whether the initiative passes or not, that won't change a thing. 07:05.630 --> 07:12.036 So the initiative offers no additional protection against being drawn into wars—not a single bit. 07:12.036 --> 07:15.356 That is an outrageous claim. 07:15.356 --> 07:22.600 Switzerland renounced its neutrality in February 2022. 07:22.600 --> 07:31.550 Together with the United States and the European Union, it has allied itself with Ukraine and 07:31.550 --> 07:37.573 imposed sanctions—economic sanctions—to harm Russia. 07:37.573 --> 07:44.220 So there is absolutely no question of Switzerland remaining as neutral as it has always been. 07:44.220 --> 07:49.830 The Neutrality Initiative claims that it protects us from getting involved in wars. 07:49.830 --> 07:52.900 And that's absolutely true. 07:52.900 --> 08:06.578 The Research Service of the U.S. Congress conducted a study in which it found that, since 1990, 08:06.578 --> 08:14.812 the United States has been involved in 251 wars. 08:14.812 --> 08:20.156 251 wars from 1990 or 1991 to the present. 08:20.156 --> 08:27.620 In many cases, NATO was involved in these wars, providing personnel and weapons. 08:27.620 --> 08:41.740 So it is now incredibly naive to believe that intensifying cooperation with NATO would not draw Switzerland into such wars. 08:41.740 --> 08:48.620 The U.S. and NATO have been at war continuously since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 08:48.620 --> 08:57.690 And since February 2022, Switzerland has been involved in these wars that the EU and NATO are 08:57.690 --> 09:03.831 waging against Russia alongside the government in Kyiv. 09:03.831 --> 09:11.557 NATO is heavily involved in these wars—both in terms of personnel and through the supply of weapons and 09:11.557 --> 09:17.201 equipment—even though this has not been formally declared. 09:17.201 --> 09:21.115 Are we still neutral? No, we are no longer neutral. 09:21.115 --> 09:30.148 The Russian foreign minister has stated, “Switzerland has abandoned its neutrality and has become an enemy of Russia.” 09:30.148 --> 09:39.134 And U.S. President Joe Biden stated at the time, “Even Switzerland is participating; even Switzerland is 09:39.134 --> 09:44.372 joining in on these economic sanctions against Russia.” 09:44.372 --> 09:53.527 The initiative is a direct response to Switzerland's decision in 2022 to adopt sanctions against Russia and the Putin 09:53.527 --> 10:02.242 regime after the brutal attack on Ukraine—which violated international law—had reached its full scale. 10:02.242 --> 10:09.317 So what is being sold to us here as timeless neutrality is, in reality, an attempt not to 10:09.317 --> 10:13.690 protect the victim, but to protect the aggressor. 10:13.690 --> 10:20.138 As we all know, anyone who treats the attacker and the victim the same is not neutral. 10:20.138 --> 10:25.084 He sides with the stronger party and against what is right. 10:25.084 --> 10:31.209 That sounds very nice. A moral stance. 10:31.209 --> 10:36.212 But it is a moral stance that is nothing more than a bubble. 10:36.212 --> 10:46.723 And that bubble bursts the moment you take a closer look and have even the slightest knowledge of history. 10:46.723 --> 10:49.559 The major powers wage wars. 10:49.559 --> 10:56.279 And they wage these wars without regard for international law, the UN Charter, and so on, whenever 10:56.279 --> 11:00.141 they perceive their vital interests to be at stake. 11:00.141 --> 11:08.690 Major powers such as Russia, China, and the United States wage wars in which the rules of international law do not apply, and 11:08.690 --> 11:15.187 there is absolutely no point in Switzerland standing up and saying, “We insist on international 11:15.187 --> 11:19.168 law, and we want to punish everyone who violates it.” 11:19.168 --> 11:24.739 That's a stance you could almost call megalomaniacal. 11:24.739 --> 11:30.014 Foreign Minister Cassis said, “If rules are broken, if not everyone is willing to 11:30.014 --> 11:34.124 follow the rules, then we must take action.” 11:34.124 --> 11:39.246 However, Switzerland is completely unable to act when major powers are at war. 11:39.246 --> 11:50.437 This applies from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq, from the Balkans to the war in Iran, which is taking place right now. 11:50.437 --> 11:57.116 Has Switzerland punished the aggressor—the so-called aggressor—in every such case? 11:57.116 --> 12:05.333 Did Switzerland take action against American businesspeople with close ties to the government whose assets were 12:05.333 --> 12:12.791 frozen in Swiss accounts when the U.S. attacked Iraq in 2003 in violation of international law? 12:12.791 --> 12:16.608 Did Switzerland try to determine who the aggressor was during the Vietnam War? 12:16.608 --> 12:21.630 What was the U.S. Army doing in Vietnam, anyway? 12:21.630 --> 12:25.099 Did Switzerland punish the aggressor in Afghanistan? 12:25.099 --> 12:28.672 What was NATO doing in Afghanistan, anyway? 12:28.672 --> 12:33.508 And in the Balkans, what about the attack on Serbia, which violated international law? 12:33.508 --> 12:41.457 It is utter hypocrisy to claim that we must support Russia—Russia has attacked Ukraine in 12:41.457 --> 12:46.159 violation of international law; that is true. 12:46.159 --> 12:56.266 – But it’s completely absurd to claim that we have to punish Russia; in all the other major wars that the great powers have 12:56.266 --> 13:02.154 waged, we haven’t taken action, and we can’t take action anyway. 13:02.154 --> 13:10.906 This so-called neutrality initiative weakens Switzerland; it weakens our country. 13:10.906 --> 13:20.857 It represents a clear, dangerous, and serious breach of our neutrality—which we have upheld for 13:20.857 --> 13:28.214 centuries—as well as of our understanding of neutrality. 13:28.214 --> 13:37.115 It actually jeopardizes our security. And ultimately, this initiative undermines our ability to act because 13:37.115 --> 13:46.120 it forces us into a rigid framework and dictates today how we will be allowed to act in the future. 13:46.120 --> 13:54.511 Yes, of course this neutrality initiative is forcing us into a straitjacket. 13:54.511 --> 13:58.065 The Criminal Code, too, is a straitjacket. 13:58.065 --> 14:01.105 The Swiss Constitution, too, is a straitjacket. 14:01.105 --> 14:10.771 It sets out what we consider reasonable and what is in Switzerland's best interest. 14:10.771 --> 14:17.040 This statement by Ms. Schönenberger is almost reminiscent of George Orwell and 14:17.040 --> 14:21.656 "Newspeak," where reality is simply turned on its head. 14:21.656 --> 14:27.187 It is said that the neutrality initiative represents a break with our tradition. 14:27.187 --> 14:28.914 In fact, the exact opposite is true. 14:28.914 --> 14:35.994 We broke with this tradition long ago—in February 2022, to be precise—when we 14:35.994 --> 14:41.480 immediately implemented the sanctions against Russia. 14:41.480 --> 14:47.466 It almost has—if you'll pardon the expression—an erotic quality to it. 14:47.466 --> 14:55.685 The way our foreign minister hugged President Zelenskyy at Kloten Airport. 14:55.685 --> 15:02.305 We've shown the whole world which side we're on—that we're participating in this war against Russia. 15:02.305 --> 15:10.980 We organized a peace conference at Bürgenstock—a so-called peace conference—in which Russia did not participate at all. 15:10.980 --> 15:16.980 What kind of farce are we putting on here? It's unbelievable. 15:16.980 --> 15:22.613 People keep talking about our safety. Our safety is at risk. 15:22.613 --> 15:28.475 All four of Switzerland's major media conglomerates are pushing the same narrative. 15:28.475 --> 15:34.874 Our security is at risk because the Russians are going to attack us. 15:34.874 --> 15:41.595 Defense Minister Pfister has said that we must prepare for a war in the near future. 15:41.595 --> 15:50.790 The EU—the European Union in Brussels—has officially stated that it expects a war against Russia by 2029/30 at the latest. 15:50.790 --> 15:56.820 It seems our NATO allies want to get involved. 15:56.820 --> 16:04.900 Security—this narrative that “our security is at risk”—dates back to the beginning of the Cold War. 16:04.900 --> 16:19.370 That is an ideological belief being spread that is extremely effective in terms of mass psychology. 16:19.370 --> 16:21.310 Namely, the domino theory. 16:21.310 --> 16:28.708 You remember, in Vietnam: “If Vietnam isn’t held, all of Asia will become communist.” “ 16:28.708 --> 16:34.935 "If Nicaragua isn't held in check"—under the Ronald Reagan administration—"then Guatemala, Honduras, and 16:34.935 --> 16:41.837 Mexico will fall, and the communists—the Soviet Union—will be right on the southern border of the U.S." " 16:41.837 --> 16:50.240 "If we don't attack Iraq, Saddam Hussein will attack us with his ABC weapons." 16:50.240 --> 16:58.225 This is an extremely effective psychological mechanism that is constantly repeated and constantly reinvigorated. ‘ 16:58.225 --> 17:04.675 "If we don't hold Ukraine, Putin will first overrun the Baltic states, then Poland, and before 17:04.675 --> 17:08.423 long Russian tanks will be at Lake Constance." 17:08.423 --> 17:19.297 It's always the same tactic of creating an extreme enemy stereotype that must be drummed into people's 17:19.297 --> 17:25.489 heads so that they will agree to participate in a war. 17:25.489 --> 17:31.116 The public—and parliaments as well—must be convinced that an evil enemy is threatening us, 17:31.116 --> 17:34.376 because only then can the arms trade thrive. 17:34.376 --> 17:39.891 The arms buildup currently underway in Europe, in Brussels, and in Berlin borders on madness. 17:39.891 --> 17:44.227 Debt is piling up as if there were no tomorrow. 17:44.227 --> 17:52.300 That's unbelievable. And our NATO allies apparently want to step up their cooperation with NATO. 17:52.300 --> 17:59.230 That is exactly what Defense Minister Viola Amherd said in 2024. 17:59.230 --> 18:04.877 And Martin Pfister says we need to prepare for a war that will break out soon. 18:04.877 --> 18:14.822 How naive can one be to believe that, if we move closer to NATO, we won't be dragged into these wars? 18:14.822 --> 18:22.550 We are being drawn into this, and the Neutrality Initiative is the only way to ensure that 18:22.550 --> 18:26.005 this does not happen, that it does not occur.