Switzerland moves to ban all use of Nazi symbols amid rise in antisemitism

GENEVA — The Swiss government on Friday submitted a draft law to ban public displays of the swastika, Hitler salute and other Nazi signs, amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in the country.

The bill, aiming to regulate “the prohibition of using, wearing, displaying or publicly disseminating Nazi symbols,” will now go to parliament for a vote.

That vote, the timing of which has yet to be announced, is expected to be a formality: it was the parliament itself that asked the government in 2024 to draft the bill.

“Nazi symbols represent an ideology that despises human life and is contrary to the fundamental values of a democratic and liberal society,” the government said in a statement. “Racism and antisemitism are unacceptable in our society.”

Swiss law currently allows for the prosecution of anyone using Nazi, racist, extremist or violence-glorifying symbols for propaganda purposes. But anyone simply displaying such symbols without using them for propaganda has until now faced no penalty.

The government argued that stricter rules, in line with bans already seen in a number of other European countries, were needed due to a “sharp rise in antisemitic incidents” in recent years.

The proposed law prohibits “the use, wearing, display, or public dissemination of Nazi symbols, including flags, badges, emblems, gestures, slogans, and greetings.”

“Variations of these symbols, or objects that represent or contain such symbols or variations, such as writings, audio or visual recordings, or images” would also be banned.

The draft law would provide for some exceptions when Nazi symbols are used for educational, scientific, artistic, journalistic or academic purposes.

Anyone found to have violated the ban would be fined 200 Swiss francs ($250), according to the proposal.

The government said the ban, once adopted by parliament, should later be extended to include other, as yet undefined, extremist symbols.