The Bundesrat does not like to be interfered by parliament. Not even from the Audit Committee of the National Council (GPK-N). The purchasing process of the new fighter aircraft was scrutinized for ten months.
The Federal Council chose Lockheed Martin’s American F-35 stealth jet. Airbus with the Eurofighter, Boeing with the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the French company Dassault got nothing.
Jet selection led to diplomatic turmoil
For the GPK-N, the Federal Council’s evaluation procedure was legal, but not appropriate. A thorn in the side of parliamentary supervision was that the Bundesrat had restricted its own room for maneuver and was therefore no longer able to include aspects of foreign policy. France in particular is said to have promised far-reaching political counter-deals when purchasing the French fighter jet Rafale.
This even led to diplomatic unrest. Defense Minister Viola Amherd (60) only informed her council colleagues so late that Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (61) and Finance Minister Ueli Maurer (72) were still negotiating with production countries in other dossiers, although the choice for the F- already decided. France in particular was beyond upset.
Federal Council sees little need for action
However, the Bundesrat does not want to know anything about the need for action. He made this clear in a message on Tuesday. He considers the GPK-N’s recommendations fulfilled, namely that he will retain leeway in future arms purchases. He does have political leeway because of the legal requirements of the tendering process.
With the new fighter jet, however, he had no longer recognized any room for maneuver because the F-35 swung too clearly. In addition, “A purely political decision would call into question the meaning and purpose of the evaluation process and damage the authority’s credibility and reputation.”
The Federal Council is examining only one recommendation
The Bundesrat considers that three of the five recommendations of the regulator have already been fulfilled. On the other hand, he rejects the recommendation to always obtain references from other users when purchasing weapons, in addition to information from the producing countries. This entails the risk of comparing different embedded systems with each other.
Ultimately, the Bundesrat only wants to examine a recommendation. The previous practice of the so-called “closing meeting” must be questioned, the final talks with the unsuccessful providers. For example, it must be examined whether the conversations can be dispensed with altogether. The Ministry of Defense must submit corresponding proposals to the Federal Council by the end of 2023.