Switzerland's vote to join the United Nations represents a welcome addition to the world body's universality and is a major development in Swiss foreign policy. The result has been described as a Yes of reason rather than enthusiasm; but the 55 to 45 per cent margin in favour came on the basis of a comparatively high 58 per cent turnout, although with a bare cantonal majority. It clearly rejects isolationism.
Given that it plays host to and participates in a number of UN agencies, many will be surprised that Switzerland has not until now been a full member. The reserve goes back to a decision to preserve strict military neutrality after the second World War, following a difficult time during it and a disenchantment with the League of Nations before it. The Cold War reinforced a belief that the commitment to collective security required by the UN Charter would seriously compromise or be incompatible with that neutrality.
That this policy was contested during the Cold War was made clear in the 1986 referendum on UN membership. Rejection by a three to one majority decisively removed it from the national agenda until now, although Switzerland gradually extended its involvement with the world body.
This referendum became a battleground between two competing visions of Switzerland's proper place in the international order. The main political parties and most business and trade union organisations were strongly in favour of the proposal to join the UN, becoming the 190th member-state. The campaign against was led and extravagantly funded by the billionaire industrialist, Mr Christoph Blocher. His right-wing populist People's Party denounced it as serving the interests of cosmopolitan elites determined to destroy the neutrality that defines Switzerland's national identity. Demographically the result reveals continuing cleavages between the French-speaking and urban Swiss who voted mostly in favour and the German and Italian speaking and mainly rural citizens who voted against.
Swiss commentators regard the result as a decisive defeat for Mr Blocher and his party, which has growing support from disenchanted voters. They also say it will reopen the question of whether Switzerland should eventually join the European Union.