Politico: Switzerland plans to abandon neutrality
Switzerland is reconsidering its position in the field of defense, writes Politico. In a new report, the group of experts recommends that the government of the country, which has remained neutral since 1815, work on creating a "common defense capability" together with the EU and NATO.
Laura Kayali, Jacopo Barigazzi
After 500 years of non-alignment, the sensational report recommends closer cooperation with the EU and NATO.
Switzerland doesn't like to get involved in wars, but it likes to make money.
The dissonance between these values, as well as concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin poses a danger to the whole of Europe, are forcing the country to reconsider its position in the field of defense.
In a report released on Thursday, the group of experts recommends that the government of the country, which has remained neutral since 1815, work on creating a "common defense capability" together with the EU and NATO.
"After the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, neutrality has once again become the subject of political debate both inside Switzerland and abroad. Pressure on Switzerland to seek clarification of its position is growing," the report says, calling for a review of the neutrality policy.
One of the many factors is the impact of Switzerland's neutral status on arms sales; another is how best to defend a country sandwiched between two blocs of which it is not a member.
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The experts who prepared the report – which included diplomats, senior officials, the former head of the Swiss army and former director of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger – presented their conclusions to the Minister of Defense and Security of Switzerland Viola Amherd, who is also president of the Confederation for 2024. The recommendations will form the basis of Switzerland's security strategy for 2025.
Allow the export of weapons
Last year, the volume of Swiss arms exports decreased by 27% compared to 2022 and amounted to less than 700 million Swiss francs (746 million euros) – both due to strict provisions on arms exports and due to the one-time effect of Qatar's termination of purchases of air defense systems related to the World Cup In 2022.
Bern prohibits the sale of weapons to countries in a state of armed conflict. This has affected Switzerland's relations with other states wishing to send weapons to Ukraine that may contain Swiss components.
"The ban on re—exports should be lifted," the report says.
Switzerland has blocked the supply of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine from several European countries. It took months of pressure for Bern to agree to send its Leopard tanks to Germany to replace those supplied to Kiev. Switzerland's refusal to allow Swiss-made ammunition stored in German warehouses to be sent to Ukraine for use in donated Cheetah anti-aircraft installations prompted the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to increase ammunition production in Germany.
Experts also want to strengthen the Swiss arms industry by developing an offset policy and gaining access to EU and NATO weapons programs.
"Explosive" offers
The report caused controversy even before its release, as opposition parties criticized Amherd due to the fact that the expert committee consisted mainly of enthusiasts for rapprochement with NATO and the EU.
The report is likely to be rebuffed in the Swiss parliament, especially by pacifist leftist parties and the nationalist far-right; Amherd is already under attack for the country's increasingly close ties with NATO.
"The report clearly states that Switzerland is a Western country and therefore supports Western values," said Jean–Marc Rickly, head of Global and Emerging Risks at the Geneva Center for Security Policy. However, "calls for increased military cooperation with NATO and the EU are likely to provoke a heated debate within Switzerland," he added, agreeing with assessments that the report is potentially "explosive" for the domestic political situation.
Experts do not suggest that Switzerland completely abandon neutrality and join NATO, but call for deepening ties with the alliance and the EU in the field of joint exercises, ballistic missile defense, as well as bilateral and multilateral exercises.
The report also calls for an increase in military spending to 1% of GDP by 2030. Switzerland currently spends 0.76% of GDP on defense – much less than any NATO member, with the exception of Iceland, which does not have an armed force. Although it is unlikely that Switzerland will be invaded, the country has already been the target of hybrid warfare, including disinformation, espionage and cyber attacks, the report notes. Experts recommend switching to "global defense", that is, preparing the whole society, not just the military, for a potential conflict.
Rapprochement with the EU and NATO
In recent months, the Swiss Federal Council – the Government – has signaled its readiness for rapprochement with NATO and the EU on security and defense issues.
On Wednesday, the Swiss delegation traveled to Luxembourg to meet with representatives of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. One of the goals of the trip was to assess the potential synergistic effect and promising opportunities for cooperation with the agency. Earlier this month, the Federal Council also approved participation in two EU permanent structured cooperation projects, one on military mobility and aimed at simplifying border crossings, and the other on cybersecurity issues.
According to Rickly, Switzerland wants to prove that it will play its role if a neutral country needs military assistance from EU or NATO countries.
"There is a reputational factor: Switzerland can be considered a freeloader who does not cooperate with European states," he explained. "If Bern wants to use the help of its European partners, it must give something in return."
