Switzerland, one of Europe’s longest-standing neutral powers, has unveiled a sweeping new security strategy warning that the continent’s deteriorating security environment is forcing the country to strengthen its resilience, protect critical infrastructure, and prepare its armed forces for a potential attack.
The Swiss Federal Council approved its 2026 Security Policy Strategy on Friday, setting out 10 objectives and 46 measures covering civilian protection, economic security, cyber threats, critical infrastructure and military defence. Implementation has already begun, with a progress report due by the end of 2028.
The move marks a significant shift in emphasis for a country whose neutrality has long shaped its approach to European security.
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“In response to the deteriorating security situation, Switzerland has three objectives: strengthen resilience, improve protection and enhance defence capabilities. The Federal Council has adopted Switzerland’s Security Policy Strategy 2026.”
The strategy warns that Switzerland must prepare for an “increasingly unstable” international environment, with the war in Ukraine, intensifying rivalry between major powers and the weakening of the international order reshaping the risks facing the country.
“The international security situation has become increasingly unstable and volatile.
“Rivalries between major powers have intensified, and armed conflicts are increasingly shaping the global environment. The international order is becoming progressively weaker.”
Bern specifically identifies Russia’s war against Ukraine as a central driver of the deteriorating security environment. It also warns that hybrid threats, including cyber attacks, espionage, sabotage and influence operations, are becoming more prevalent across Europe.
“There is still no end in sight” to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the strategy says, while “hybrid threats” including cyber attacks are “on the rise”.
The Swiss government also highlights the vulnerability created by the increasing interconnection of critical infrastructure, arguing that attacks or disruptions could have consequences extending far beyond individual facilities.
“Critical infrastructure is made more vulnerable by its high level of interconnectivity. It is also vital to safeguard domestic security and mitigate risks posed by natural hazards and pandemics.”
The strategy places particular emphasis on remote attacks, including drones and ballistic missiles, alongside hybrid warfare and organised crime. The government says Switzerland could still be exposed to long-range attacks even though it considers a direct armed attack on the country unlikely in the foreseeable future.
The distinction is important. Switzerland is not predicting an imminent Russian assault on its territory. Instead, Bern is preparing for a security environment in which threats can cross borders without necessarily taking the form of a conventional invasion.
The Federal Council says Switzerland should have an “effective defence protocol” capable of responding to an armed attack, including “established cooperation with partner states in advance”.
The strategy’s three central priorities are to strengthen national resilience, improve protection and resistance capabilities, and increase Switzerland’s ability to defend itself. The measures include strengthening cyber capabilities, protecting critical infrastructure, improving civil protection and disaster medicine, addressing equipment and stockpiling gaps in the armed forces and developing longer-range military capabilities.
The Swiss government’s approach also reflects the reality that neutrality does not insulate the country from the consequences of instability elsewhere in Europe.
Its strategy notes that most modern threats do not stop at national borders and says international cooperation will therefore be essential to protecting Switzerland and contributing to European security.
For Bern, the objective is not to abandon neutrality but to make the country more difficult to intimidate, disrupt or attack.
The result is a striking reassessment from a state long associated with political neutrality and territorial security: Switzerland is now explicitly preparing its government, economy, civilian infrastructure and armed forces for a Europe in which the distinction between peace and conflict is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
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