It is all change at the top of the defence ministry (DDPS). Viola Amherd announced in January that she would be stepping down as Federal Councillor and head of the DDPS. In February came the news that Chief of the Armed Forces Thomas Süssli, and the head of the Federal Intelligence Service, Christian Dussey, would be leaving their posts – only days after the commander of the Swiss Air Force, Peter Merz, had resigned. The departures mean that Amherd’s successor in the Federal Council, Martin Pfister, voted in on 12 March, immediately has some very important staffing decisions to make.
In February, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) released three audits detailing suspected fraud at the state-owned armaments company RUAG. The SFAO found irregularities in the purchase and sale of spare parts for Leopard tanks, with estimated financial damages to the state “in the high double-digit million range”. The SFAO also criticised a lack of oversight, finding that there was “a questionable culture” and “significant organisational shortcomings” at RUAG. It also questioned the role of the defence ministry (DDPS). In 2019, a whistleblower contacted the DDPS with information about suspicious activities. The SFAO says that the DDPS did “not respond appropriately”.
Between 1926 and 1973, the Kinder der Landstrasse programme, run by the Pro Juventute charity, forcibly removed 600 Yenish children from their families and placed them in homes or with foster parents. Church charities and authorities did the same. As many as 2,000 people were affected, many of whom were placed under guardianship at an adult age, prohibited from marrying or even sterilised against their will. Based on a legal report, the Federal Council now admits that “crimes against humanity” were committed against the Yenish and Sinti communities, and acknowledges that the state shares responsibility for the injustice. The victims themselves had previously called for the crime to be classed as “cultural genocide”. Link to the report (in German only): www.revue.link/jenische
Ariane Rustichelli stepped down as director of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) in April. At the time of our editorial deadline came the news that Lukas Weber had been appointed as her successor. “Swiss Review” will introduce Weber in the next issue. The OSA published a media release (in German) to announce Weber’s appointment: www.revue.link/weber
Migros is going through radical restructuring. The Swiss retail giant founded by Gottlieb Duttweiler (1888–1962) is to discard its sizeable portfolio of specialist stores in order to grow its core business. It also aims to stave off competition through more attractive pricing.
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