Swiss Federal Council

Stories

Swiss voters reject population cap that would have ended EU free movement

Opposed the initiative

Swiss voters were asked to put a hard ceiling on their own country's population. On June 14, 2026, they said no. About 54.8% voted against capping permanent residents at 10 million, and a majority of cantons agreed.

Updated Jun 15

US allies refuse to join Iran war as arms bans and airspace closures spread

Force in Play

Issued the arms export ban and airspace restrictions

Switzerland sold $119 million in arms to the United States in 2025 before halting all new orders on March 20, 2026, and closing its airspace to US military flights linked to the Iran war. Italy followed on March 22 with a suspension of new US arms export licenses. On March 30, Spain closed its airspace and blocked US military base use for Iran war operations, citing violations of international law.

Updated May 30