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The army will receive an additional two billion francs over the next four years. The National Council follows the state government.
In the debate between the Council of States last summer, something wonderful happened: “Imagine that it is an army debate, and nobody says no.” This is how you could sum up what happened in the little chamber back then.
14 representatives of the left sit on the Council of States, but none of them significantly opposed more money for the army. Neither verbally nor with the tuning button. The Federal Council proposal was approved by the Council of States without a single vote against.
Amherd is fighting for more money
In the National Council, however, known fronts reopened today on the issue of the army: the left vehemently opposed the increase in the payment framework for national defense, the bourgeois majority supported the Defense Minister Viola Amherd.
The military needs more money in the next four years, among other things for fighter jets and an air defense system.
Keystone
The federal adviser reminded national advisers that the share of military spending in federal spending has more than halved since 1990. “It is the only area of federal spending that has grown below average.”
Over the past four years, the Federal Council had budgeted 20 billion Swiss francs for the army. Parliament cut this amount by 800 million through austerity programs. Now the Federal Council demands almost two billion more for the next four years.
If requests for cuts from left-wing parties were approved, according to VBS chief Amherd, the necessary investments in the military would be delayed. This also included energy efficiency measures.
Green left vehemently against the rise
The SP and the Greens, on the other hand, found that the army had to get by with less money than in the last four years. Especially in times of Corona, you have to ask yourself if you are setting your priorities correctly, said SP National Counsel Celine Widmer.
Will the money actually be spent where it will bring the most to Switzerland? Does it make sense to increase the pay frame for the military to such an extent at this point? The answers to these questions are clear to Widmer: “No, no and nothing else,” he said.
The bourgeois prevail
On the other hand, the SVP was quick to act for the army. National councilor Mauro Tuena thought that the army should also be thanked for its work in the crown crisis. This is about 1.4 percent more money for national defense in the next four years. He had no words to combat that: “You’re playing with fire,” he said.
CVP national adviser Thomas Rechsteiner, who acted as spokesman for the security policy commission, also warned against “firing on time” if the army did not have the necessary means.
The bourgeois majority in the National Council did not want this dismissal in installments. Closed, dismissed requests for cuts from the left. Starting next year, for the first time in a long time, the military can count on more money for its operations, weapons projects and real estate.
