Switzerland has concluded public consultations on an initiative to ban the display of Nazi symbols in public spaces—a measure supported by most political parties, cantons, and organizations.
According to the proposal from the Swiss Federal Council, the ban would apply to the swastika, the Hitler salute, SS runes, and numerical codes such as “18” and “88,” which are interpreted as “Adolf Hitler” and “Heil Hitler.”
Exceptions would be made for educational, artistic, scientific, and journalistic purposes—for example, media reports on antisemitic incidents would still be allowed. Jewish community organizations in Switzerland have been calling for such legislation for years.
While the overwhelming majority of Swiss parliamentary parties backed the Federal Council’s initiative, the largest party, the Swiss People’s Party, expressed concerns about “restrictions on freedom of expression.”
Under current Swiss law, a person can only be punished if they display a Nazi symbol while actively promoting its ideology.
However, those who show such symbols without explicitly endorsing Nazi ideology remain legally unpunished. Neo-Nazi groups and individuals profiting from selling Third Reich memorabilia have been exploiting this legal loophole.
