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The legendary Swiss neutrality. Well, it will be even more so despite international pressure to change to the good side of the force – understand Ukraine – in the face of the dark force – Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The sovereignist organization Pro Suisse has amassed more than 100,000 signatures, the minimum threshold to inflict a referendum which seeks to cement Swiss neutrality in the Constitution, one of the leaders, Walter Wobmann, stated this Wednesday, March 20, in an interview with the Blick newspaper.
“We have collected almost 140,000 signatures (…) On April 11, we will present the initiative to the Federal Chancellery. Until then, we continue to collect signatures,” he said. There is no doubt regarding the outcome of the vote: it will be neutrality, again and again, even if the battle in Ukraine unleashes a heated debate among the Helvetii.
Switzerland was certainly the first Western country to register the payment of Russian assets to the Ukrainians, it has good ties with NATO but it will leave it there. There is no question of giving in to the appeals of those who no longer acknowledge that the Swiss live on their “island” of pacifism while the world is agitated by the torments that we know: the nuclear danger brandished by Putin, the catastrophic desires of North Korea, etc.
Switzerland is not part of the European Union, which has not stopped it from complying with the sanctions against Moscow decreed by Brussels. The leading Swiss party, the UDC, a radical right-wing formation, has still not digested what it interprets as a blow to the neutrality of the country. The Kremlin is likewise fuming over the sanctions applied by Switzerland and has since refused to permit UN discussions on Syria to be organized in Geneva.
“By adopting EU sanctions against Russia, we have blocked our way. In the eyes of the Russians, we are no longer neutral,” remarked Walter Wobmann, former UDC MP. Note that the Swiss Federal Constitution notes that the government and Parliament strive to “preserve neutrality” but Pro Suisse wants even more guarantees….
The referendum project – called in Switzerland a “popular initiative” – suggests that the Constitution engraves “armed and perpetual” neutrality in stone and that it applies “permanently and without exception”. That’s not all, non-military retaliatory measures such as sanctions would also be banned, except when issued by the UN.
Pro Suisse, which opposes any pact with NATO, also demands that the Constitution ban Switzerland from joining any military or defence alliance, except when the country is directly attacked. “Only when we are directly attacked can we ally ourselves with others. If we are transformed into a war party, we must defend ourselves,” added Walter Wobmann.
I know one who will be pleased to crack the Western bloc even further: Vladimir Putin. The more Westerners show signs of procrastination, weakness, and terror, the more prosperous their business is, to the greater misfortune of its prey.
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