Do sanctions undermine Swiss neutrality?

The neutrality initiative, if approved by Swiss voters in September, would give the country little or no room for manoeuvre on economic sanctions. Do sanctions really violate neutrality? A closer analysis shows that the answer is neither a simple yes nor a simple no. Supporters of the neutrality initiative like to draw on a stark image: starving the enemy into submission. They argue there is little difference between medieval sieges and economic sanctions like those Switzerland – in line with…