cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/10914225

[Automated translation with minimal edits from German original.]

• In recent weeks, the Kremlin has repeatedly interfered in the voting campaign surrounding the neutrality initiative.
• In addition to Russia, other countries are also trying to influence the Swiss population.
• Parliament now wants to take stronger action against this.

Swiss voters will decide on the Neutrality Initiative on 27 September 2026. Among other things, this initiative aims to enshrine a broad prohibition of sanctions against states at war in the Federal Constitution. Obligations towards the UN would be excluded.

The initiative is attracting interest in Moscow. In recent weeks, several articles about the Swiss sanctions against Russia have appeared on the Kremlin-funded platform RT DE. They portray the Federal Council, which rejects the initiative, in a critical light.

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It stirs up sentiment against the Federal Council, which rejects the initiative, and in favour of the Neutrality Initiative. The author's name: Hans-Ueli Läppli. The name almost sounds too Swiss to be true. "The Kremlin wants to normalise the war"

Russia wants to portray its war against Ukraine as a normal conflict between two states, says Ulrich Schmid, Professor of Eastern European Studies at the University of St Gallen. From this, the demand can be derived that Switzerland should remain neutral in this war. Schmid says: "That would play into the hands of the Kremlin."

Russian actors disseminate their content primarily via social media. In the meantime, representatives of the Kremlin are also directly promoting the neutrality initiative. This includes the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Schmid assumes that Russia is hardly successful in its attempts to exert influence. Nevertheless, Switzerland must take the approach seriously. The attempt to exert influence is part of a larger destabilisation strategy by the Kremlin, says Schmid. Moreover, it is a long-term strategy. "That's why it's worth taking a close look now." Parliament calls for stronger measures

The federal government is also aware of the problem. In response to a request from SRF, the State Secretariat for Security Policy (Sepos) writes: "Foreign disinformation and attempts by states to exert influence that are specifically tailored to Switzerland are increasing."

At the end of 2025, the Federal Council set up a working group to deal with such activities. It is intended to improve cooperation within the federal administration and raise awareness among the population of foreign attempts at exerting influence.

However, Parliament believes this does not go far enough. It wants to take stronger action against foreign interference. SRF parliamentary editor Manuel Ramirez says: "There are calls, for example, for social media to be monitored and for foreign actors to be tracked down." According to Ramirez, this would probably also entail strengthening the intelligence service. Parliament could decide on the demands in the autumn session.

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