Swiss voters reject tighter neutrality rules that would have curbed NATO cooperation

ZURICH – Swiss voters on Sunday firmly rejected a proposal to adopt a more restrictive form of neutrality that would have blocked their country from imposing economic sanctions or cooperating with NATO. All cantons and about 70% of voters rejected the proposal for a strictly defined version of neutrality to be written into the Swiss constitution, final results from the Federal Statistical Office showed. Switzerland was neutral yesterday, it is neutral today, and it will remain neutral in the future,” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said at a news conference following the outcome.