Switzerland to bolster its armed forces

When Russia invaded Ukraine almost six months ago, many people spoke of a watershed moment. War in 21st-century Europe had seemed inconceivable until then, but the tanks and missiles unleashed on Ukraine have forced policymakers to rethink European security. Many countries are now strengthening their military capabilities. Germany alone is investing 100 billion euros in its armed forces and has pledged to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence. In Switzerland, parliament has decided to increase the country’s military budget to 1 per cent of GDP by 2030. This would move defence spending up from the current level of five billion to around seven billion Swiss francs a year. A minority consisting of the SP and the Greens criticised the decision, calling it “blind militari­sation” and warning that spending on education, agriculture, environ­mental protection, and development aid could suffer as a result.

Six billion francs for fighter jets

Defence Minister Viola Amherd wants to use a portion of the additional funds to equip Switzerland’s ground troops with artillery. The Federal Council also intends to go ahead with the already approved purchase of new F-35 fighter jets. It aims to sign the relevant contracts with US manufacturer Lockheed Martin by the end of March 2023 – before the “Stop F-35” popular initiative is put to voters. The SP, the Greens and the Group for a Switzerland without an Army tabled the initiative, lamenting that the US fighter jet was a “complete overkill”. Thirty-six F-35 jets including weaponry will cost a total of six billion francs. In September 2020, only a wafer-thin 50.1 per cent majority of voters approved the purchase of new fighter jets, as many readers will recall. No one knew back then what the actual aircraft model would be.