Spurn Thy neighbour: Direct democracy and Swiss isolationism

In recent years, Switzerland has conspicuously distanced itself from the international community. It has rejected membership in the UN, the EEA treaty and participation in UN peacekeeping operations; and it remains outside the EU. After the year 2004, foreign freight lorries will no longer be allowed on Swiss highways. This starkly isolationist posture is not by government design; rather, these decisions are the product of Swiss direct democracy. In the past 11 years, Swiss voters have considered six ballot issues concerning international integration. In five of the six cases, they delivered a sharp rebuff to the international community and to their own government. This article examines the referendums in detail and offers several conclusions. Most importantly, a renewed linguistic cleavage between German speakers and French speakers has shaped the outcomes decisively. Also critical has been the desire of many voters to preserve a wide scope for Swiss direct democracy by rejecting binding international agreements. And finally, government campaign tactics have exacerbated popular opposition to international integration.