Swiss voters will decide on 29 November whether to block a law that would ease curbs on weapons exports, in a referendum that puts the country’s centuries-old neutrality to its sternest test in decades.
The vote was forced by a coalition of left-wing parties, including the Social Democrats and the Greens, who oppose an amendment passed by parliament that would loosen the rules governing what Swiss-made arms can be sold abroad, and to whom. Polls suggest the result could go either way, and right-wing opponents of the change have split from the Swiss People’s Party to join the campaign against it.
Switzerland’s neutrality is rooted in the 1907 Hague Conventions, which bar a neutral state from taking part in armed conflicts or giving military support to any side. That stance held largely unchallenged through the Cold War, but it has come under strain since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which pushed Bern to deepen its defence ties with European partners and NATO.
The amendment at the centre of the vote would allow arms shipments to 36 Western countries even if they are involved in active armed conflicts, though not for use in those conflicts. It would also scrap the requirement for buyers to sign a declaration promising not to re-export Swiss weapons. Ukraine is not included in the list of eligible countries, and the change would not apply to weapons bought under the old rules or bought with the intention of immediately sending them on to a third party.
Supporters say the overhaul is overdue. Bern’s refusal to let countries pass on previously purchased Swiss-made ammunition and combat vehicles to Ukraine led Germany to exclude Swiss firms from procurement deals, while Denmark and the Netherlands halted orders. “We’re facing a level of threat we haven’t seen since the Second World War,” said Centre Party lawmaker Reto Nause. “Part of being able to defend yourself is having a domestic arms industry, having some production capacity and above all know-how in key technologies.”
Opponents argue the change would hollow out neutrality itself. “In future, Swiss war material could in certain cases be passed to belligerent states,” said Social Democrat lawmaker Fabian Molina. “That would violate neutrality.” Green Party lawmaker Gerhard Andrey said ceding control of where Swiss arms end up was “not a neutral choice”, and noted that exports were just below record levels last year despite the restrictions.
The stakes for industry are high. Switzerland was the world’s 17th-largest arms exporter over the past decade, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and the sector employs 14,000 people, with exports worth around $1.15 billion last year. The affected manufacturers include Germany’s Rheinmetall, which builds anti-drone defence systems in Switzerland, France’s Thales, small-arms maker SIG Sauer and more than 100 other companies. Industry groups say a further 154,000 jobs sit in companies making dual-use products for military and civilian use.
“This is decisive, it’s really ‘go’ or ‘no go’ for the future of the Swiss arms industry,” said Matthias Zoller, general secretary of the Swiss Aeronautics, Security and Defence Association. He warned that if exports were excessively restricted, manufacturers could simply move abroad, and Switzerland could find itself at the back of the queue when buying new systems or components from other countries.
Campaigners against the law warn of a different risk: that Swiss weapons could increasingly end up in civil wars or in the hands of rogue governments. “It’s an illusion to believe that more weapons will guarantee more peace,” said Mirjam Hostetmann, leader of the Social Democrats’ youth wing. “Nobody benefits from these changes apart from the arms industry.”
Sources: Reuters — “Swiss neutrality proponents challenge arms firms in vote on easing of exports” (https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/swiss-neutrality-proponents-challenge-arms-firms-vote-easing-exports-2026-11-09/).
