weapons shipments
The showdown over Swiss weapons for Ukraine begins on Monday
From Monday, parliament will be wrestling with how Switzerland should deal with arms deliveries to Ukraine. Several proposals are on the table. We give you an overview to have a say.
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Because of its neutrality, Switzerland is not allowed to deliver weapons directly to Ukraine.
REUTERS
States like Germany or Spain would like to supply President Zelenskiy with weapons and ammunition that they bought in Switzerland. So far, however, the Federal Council has refused, with reference to neutrality.
AFP
It has also been asked whether Switzerland might sell some Leopard main battle tanks to Germany so that German Leopards might be substituted for Ukraine.
20 minutes/Simon Glauser
The SVP and the Greens say no to any deliveries. If the two pole parties stick to their opposition, it will probably depend on every single vote whether one of the initiatives discussed will get through.
20min/News-Scout
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Switzerland prohibits other countries from supplying Swiss weapons to Ukraine.
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That causes criticism. That is why Parliament is struggling to find a solution in which Switzerland remains neutral but can do more than is currently the case.
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Two proposals will be discussed this week by the National Council and the Council of States. Others are still on the commissions.
From Monday it will take place in the Federal Palace Showdown for Swiss weapons for Ukraine. The focus is therefore also on Confederation neutrality.
initial position
Because of its neutrality, Switzerland is not allowed to deliver weapons directly to Ukraine. Parliament agrees that this should remain the case. But that’s it political harmony ended.
Because countries like Germany or Spain would like to supply President Zelenskiy with weapons and ammunition that they bought in Switzerland. So far, however, the Federal Council has refused, with reference to neutrality.
The SVP and the Greens say no to any deliveries. If the two pole parties stick to their opposition, it will probably depend on every single vote whether one of the advances will get through.
Monday – Motion Burkart
It is currently virtually impossible for countries that have bought Swiss war material to resell it. FDP member of the Council of States Thierry Burkart demands that states that have similar values and strict export controls as Switzerland can pass on federal war material more easily.
The countries are defined in the law, including Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary and the USA. They no longer even have to make inquiries if they want to export weapons. That would be an advantage for the Swiss armaments industry. However, the Federal Council is skeptical in its answer. Because as soon as the Swiss weapons are decommissioned, it might be that they “fall into unwanted hands”.
Chances of Submission: Small amount. Since the motion must also go to the National Council following the Council of States, it is in acute danger of falling there at the latest.
Wednesday – Motion Security Commission National Council
Similar to that of Burkart, this motion wants to allow the transfer of Swiss war material. But it brings the UN into play. Today, the Federal Council can already allow a transfer if the UN Security Council classifies a conflict as an act contrary to international law.
However, the Security Council is often blocked by the veto powers. The idea of the security politicians: If two-thirds of the members of the UN General Assembly condemn a conflict, this decision is more or less equivalent to a decision made by the Security Council. So that would be a way out of the blockade dilemma. In its response to the motion, the federal government points out that the UN General Assembly does not have the necessary legitimacy to reconcile this decision with Swiss neutrality.
Chances of Submission: Every vote counts. The SVP and the Greens together have 85 votes in the National Council. These are likely to vote no. Remain 115, which are distributed among the other parties. According to research by 20 minutes, the majority of these factions are in favor of yes, but there will also be no votes from almost every party.
Motion or parliamentary initiative?
A motion is an order from Parliament to the Federal Council to work out an amendment to the law and submit it to Parliament. If Parliament says yes, the new law will come into force.
Here the parliament becomes the Federal Council itself and draws up a law. The draft has to overcome several hurdles and is also going through a consultation process. If there is a “no” at any point in this rather lengthy process, the law is off the table.
In the coming months – initiatives by the safety commissions
Three parliamentary initiatives by the security commissions of the National Council and the Council of States are not yet ready for the Council debate. They also want to allow the re-export of Swiss war material – albeit retrospectively.
And that’s exactly what bothers various parliamentarians. Her criticism: When buying the weapons, the countries were clear that they were not allowed to pass on the war equipment. Changing contracts that have already been concluded followingwards is not an option. That undermines legal certainty.
Chances of Submission: The mere fact that an initiative is already in its third edition and is still going back and forth between the commissions shows how controversial business under the dome of the Federal Palace is.
