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The SVP strongly opposes the sale of 25 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks to Germany. She sees not only Swiss neutrality in danger, but also the army’s ability to defend itself. But with her resistance she is lost.
Now that the Bundesrat has already given the green light, there is a good chance in parliament that the tanks will be officially decommissioned in 2023 with the army message. This would allow a sale. A clear majority will emerge in the National Council next week. And it should also be enough in the Council of States, which will consider it in the autumn.
Choice between plague and cholera
To add a last-minute twist, the SVP played with putting everything on one card. At her parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, she discussed the downing of the entire army embassy – and with it the significant increase in the military budget.
With the deployment of the army, the Bundesrat is submitting commitment appropriations totaling CHF 1.9 billion to parliament. They cover four areas: the armaments program, the procurement of army equipment, the real estate program DDPS and the payment framework, which is to be increased by 600 million by 2024 to a total of 21.7 billion francs.
After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, parliament demanded even higher spending on the military – especially the SVP. The budget must increase to at least one percent of gross domestic product by 2030. However, for reasons of savings, the Bundesrat wants to give 300 to 800 million francs less annually.
Unholy Alliance to trip
However, parliament has the last word. This is exactly where the SVP studies a «Buebetrickli». The increase in the army budget is also heavily contested in the left-green. An unholy alliance, therefore, could bring down the payments framework — and, with it, the military’s expansion plans.
But: The SVP has also stated that with the rejection of only one part of the army message, the remaining three areas will be accepted anyway. So the Panzer deal can’t be avoided at all.
Large parts of the SVP faction have already resigned. The parliamentary group is likely to simply abstain from voting on the tank deal, it is said, “as a sign of protest”. The Bundesrat and the other parties will be able to live with it. (dba)
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
