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PETER KLAUNZER
According to the cantons, almost 9,000 votes were decisive. About 1,606,000 votes in favor were opposed to 1,597,000 votes against. Therefore, the participation was 58.7 percent.
Polls had yielded a clearer result: As of early September, 56 percent of those eligible to vote wanted to agree. All the bourgeois parties voted in favor of the hiring. The referendum was held by the SP and the Greens together with the group for a Switzerland without an army (Gsoa).
The head-to-head race between the two camps lasted all Sunday afternoon. It was not until 5 in the afternoon that it was clear that the fans had prevailed. The result revealed a clear Röstigraben: with the exception of Valais, all the cantons in western Switzerland said no to fighter jets, as did Ticino and Basel. The rejection was more pronounced in the canton of Jura with 68.9 percent.
“It’s a yes,” Defense Minister Viola Amherd told the Bundeshaus media. Although nearly half of those who voted said no to the fighter jet, they do not want to change the course they have chosen. The evaluation is currently in the final phase, the Federal Council intends to make the type decision in the middle of next year. Amherd doesn’t want to cut back on the planned payment framework. Most said yes, she said.
The adjusted result surprised fans and opponents. In an initial analysis, Lukas Golder of gfs.bern suspected a “pandemic effect” in relation to SRF television. In the Corona crisis, financial concerns could have played a role.
In contrast to the failed acquisition of Gripen in 2014, the electorate made only one fundamental decision. With the planning decision, the Federal Council is mandated to acquire new combat aircraft by 2030. You can spend a maximum of 6 billion francs on this. The money for this comes from the army budget, which is gradually being increased. 60 percent of the contract volume must be offset by counterattacks in Switzerland.
There was no vote on the type of aircraft. However, the candidates are known. In the race are two US planes, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and Boeing’s F / A-18 Super Hornet. The French manufacturer Dassault’s Rafale and Airbus Eurofighter aircraft are also being evaluated. The electorate can no longer comment on the type of aircraft chosen.
The first aircraft should be commissioned around 2025 and the acquisition should be completed in 2030. At the same time, the F / A-18 and the last Tigers will be decommissioned.
Opponents had raised the high cost of fighter jets. According to his calculations, these will amount to 24 billion Swiss francs over the entire service life.
However, they consider modern combat aircraft to be unnecessary and outdated anyway. At best, the SP and the Greens would be willing to buy training planes for a fraction of the cost that could take on some of the tasks. With the closing result, demand should gain momentum again.
