The conflict between Kosovo and Serbia seems to have eased a bit lately. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (52) announced that the roadblocks in northern Kosovo would be lifted.
It’s a positive sign. The SVP is still alerted. The reason is the Swiss army members of Swisscoy, who are stationed in Kosovo as part of the NATO force KFOR. That Swiss soldiers could be drawn into the conflict in the event of an escalation is a horror scenario for the party.
Amherd had to prepare for the withdrawal of troops
“Members of the Swiss army should under no circumstances become involved in such a situation,” writes SVP security politician Mauro Tuena (50) in a party statement. Switzerland is a neutral country and not a member of NATO. In the event of a conflict, it cannot side with either Serbia or Kosovo.
For this reason, it is imperative that Switzerland immediately withdraw its 195 members of its army from the conflict zones. “The responsible VBS boss, Viola Amherd, must immediately prepare the withdrawal of the Swiss troops. Especially since this more than questionable military operation costs about 45 million francs per year,” says Tuena.
The SVP has been fighting repeatedly and unsuccessfully for years against the extension of the Swisscoy mission in Kosovo. They also argued with Switzerland’s neutrality, which would be endangered by the deployment.
Army refuses
The army itself recently informed Blick that a return of the Swiss troops is not currently on the agenda. If the situation escalates and Serbia invades Kosovo, it would not be the job of the Swiss military to defend Kosovo, said Daniel Seckler, media spokesman at Swissint, the Swiss Army’s center of expertise for military peacebuilding.
“Armed response elements will be provided by other troop-contributing countries.” Swisscoy is solely responsible for “ensuring a safe and stable environment and ensuring freedom of movement” in Kosovo. (lha)